Thoughts @ Amit Gupta » Marketing & advertising

Signs of India

Amit Gupta — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 06:53:28 +0000

You will be back . we guarantee it just above the return policy

What is QR code

Amit Gupta — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:14:42 +0000

There is so much buzz around the QR code recently. Frankly I initially thought its some feature available with Blackberry phone , when I purchased one last year.

So what is QR code ?

By definition its Quick Response Code and look like a square bar code. The information stored on the QR code can be decoded or read by Bar code reader and mobile phones. Qr code can be used to add contacts to list, display text, image or open a webpage by connecting to mobile web.

All mobile platform supports QR code by native applications or multiple free application available. Blackberry has build in a complete campaign around QR code. Ease of adding contact to BB messenger. I love the concept and ad.

Fast Tube by Casper

But the QR code can be used for more interesting use. Few examples :

1. Talking Resume (Combination of print resume and QR code redirecting to youtube ) . Watch the creative way to use QR codes on a intern resume. www.victorpetit.fr (Sup de Pub Student, Lyon, France).

2 . Profile Photo on Social Profiles (Business promotion by @mayank)

3. Link to download applications (Android Market ) – One click Download

Android market offers one click download to almost all applications. The same code can also be extended to print and online campaigns. Check out the QR code for Facebook app

And many more ….

Interestingly term QR code itself is a registered trade mark of Denso Wave Incorporated and Denso Wave owns the patent rights on QR codes, but has chosen not to exercise them. Kudos

One last thing and most important thing. How to get a bar code for you ?

QR Code for http://amitguptaz.com

There are ample of online QR Code generator which offer this service for FREE.

a) http://www.qrstuff.com/ Customize the foreground color of the QR code and get a printable code. The site also give option to get QR code on various products like mugs, t-shirts etc.

b) http://www.quikqr.com : Simple interface with option to create a QR code for a webpage

Go ahead get a QR code for yourself.

Update : A mailer today suggest one more utility

Jeff Bezos about Amazon and Zappos

Amit Gupta — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:43:32 +0000

“Every thing I know” by Jeff Bezos (Founder Amazon.com). This is an exellent presentation about Amazon and Zappos but hold true for any organization specially startups. This also highlights the advantages of being ‘obsessed on customers’.

Source : Youtube

Safeguard your SIM card against misuse

Amit Gupta — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:32:32 +0000

There seems to be a perfect synergy in the marketing and sales department of cellular companies. Both departments are supplementing each other in growing the subscriber base (And possibly redcuing ARPU).

The telesales ladies pushes hard to sell complementary ‘Golden’, ‘Platinum’ and matching/similar numbers to your current Mobile number in ever sweet voice. I have recd two such calls since morning. Good I have recieved two call in morning itself and now I can chill (My average incoming telesales call stands at 2). I am sure you want to know how have I managed this. Follow these simple rules to avoid telemarketing calls.

‘Amit Gupta : With the amount of free numbers offered by Idea cellular. It seems I can run a telephone exchange.Tell them I am happy in my job’ via my facebook and twitter update.

On other hand, marketing team is generating demand for new sim card in very innovative way. My latest bill from Vodafone displayed the ‘SMART’ way of safeguarding sim cards in 3 easy steps (This is the most prominent and colorful element on the page).

1) Go to nearest Store
2) Break the card in two
3) Hand it over to store employee

and then what…get a new sim card or connection Can’t believe what is the message Vodafone is trying to deliver with this creative. I found this message very confusing and misplaced.

Grow Red Tail with Dabur India

Amit Gupta — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:29:57 +0000

I clicked this at a medical store market today. I was totally amused at branding of the baby product from Dabur India. Now what on the earth product called ‘Dabur Lal Tail’ from the Ayurvedic Expert for babies would convey to the parents. It is for child growth or growing tail for your child

Dabur could have aptly named it as ‘Dabur red Oil’ and also retained the name in devnagiri ‘डाबर लाल तेल’ to appeal to the loyal base and cash on the recall value.

They have done similar excersice for ‘डाबर लाल दंत मंजन’ when it was launched as as a paste variant ‘Dabur Red toothpaste’.

My nephew voted today

Amit Gupta — Sun, 24 May 2009 11:47:39 +0000

This election season all the non-pappu population on country got their figure marked and proved that common men (no offence to all the women out there) has the ultimate say in democracy.

Today is the day for generation next to go out get the mark. I am proud of my nephew (Kavya), he voted for the right choice – Polio Drops.

Kavya proudly showing his marked fingure

Thanks to the well-coordinated government campaign ‘Pulse Polio‘ to eradicate polio out of our country, there has been significant drop in the polio cases in last decade. Though goverment is doing its own bit but the success of the programm depends on the participation by the parents.

Won’t you move few steps, so that your child can walk for life ?

No related posts.

Confession – Love you Maggi

Amit Gupta — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:37:39 +0000

Oh man … It’s 25 years or Silver Jubilee of our first meeting. I still remember the day when you entered my life. We met at my school. You wore bright yellow with strokes of red. And on our very first date, I brought you to my home to meet mom (It wasn’t infatuation, I can say now). Mom actually likes you…

And It was love at first bite…I am mad about you till this date. I love all your makeover and well…most of the flavors. You remember you got me gift on our every 5th date. I still have some of them with me (still hidden from my wife).

But for the first time I am sharing this story and some of your gifts with the world, Hope you would love it equally.

All you MAGGI lovers visit http://meandmeri.in and share you lovely moments spends with her.

The Seagate FreeAgent and I Contest

Amit Gupta — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 07:51:45 +0000

There is a interesting contest running on Indian Blog and new Media Society http://ibnms.com/2009/03/03/seagate-contest/#more-31 .

The Contest
You have to write a blog entry on the following topic: Seagate FreeAgent Family and I: What would be the most creative use I could put it to if I had one? And what would I expect from Seagate’s storage solutions that will enhance my content management experience?

So here are my thoughts on the use of Seagate FreeAgent external storage drive (This is my wishlist).

I am looking for “my space” to be myself and do what I want to do and be what I want to be. For my kind of space there should be no boundries and limitations to the imagination and the performance. My space should be like open to the world like me. It should be able to handshake with everyone and adabtable to available technologies. Should grow and learn with me and my requirements (upgradable software and intelligence). It should be with me and move with me like my shadow (nice, compact and portable).

Now what would I do with if all of the above come true:

It would be nice to have only computer screens (laptop and desktop) and a place to plug and play your own drive. So there would be no dependency and boundries of sytems and places. So everyone can just move around freely and still carry one’s own world with them

No related posts.

Abuse of Cost Per Click (CPC) Marketing?

Amit Gupta — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:28:04 +0000

Cost Per Click better known as CPC advertising is one of the most popular ROI (return on Investment) driven model in online world. Google has build in a complete empire revolving around this model.

This model provides a win-win situation to publishers (websites), ad-networks (like Google, Komli etc) and advertisers (sellers). Advertisers pays to the ad-networks only when a visitor (prospective buyer) clicks on the advertisement (thereby presumed he expresses interest in the advertiser’s services) on the publisher’s website. Thereby justifying the advertising cost as paid by the advertisers. On the same hand ad-networks are in position to calculate and display the ROI and compensation for publishers.

Now in a fair game, a visitor will click on the advertisement to know more about the services and contact the buyer subsequently (If he is interested). On every such click publisher get paid certain amount by ad-networks and advertisers are charged for that click.

Wonderful concept, so where is the abuse?

Now few advertisers are abusing the ecosystem by removing/reducing the requirement to click the advertisement in order to know the contact info etc. Thus avoiding the charges payable to ad-network and subsequently the publisher.

This short-term strategy will surely have long lasting impact on the ecosystem of publishers, advertisers and ad-networks. I am sure ad-networks would have all the systems and checks in place to avoid such content going live in the advertisement. Ad networks would spend more energy on building more checks to stop abuse, which would have otherwise gone in more constructive activities. All said and done, I believe there is an equal responsibility to be shared by the advertisers also for not abusing the product.

PS : I just found one more and this one is interesting. Skype installed on my system prompt me to call on the number displayed on ad for FREE and again without even clicking on the ad.

Are Customers Sitting Duck

Amit Gupta — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:16:04 +0000

The mailer gives a feeling how the organization feels about their subscribers, who pays monthly subscription to be part of the network. They are just addition to growing number of sitting ducks for TATA Sky who can be easily targeted by the advertisers.

Horrible is the word, to explain the feeling when you see customers being called “Sitting Ducks”. I just came across an emailer from Tata Sky targeted at advertisers for their DTH service.

Can’t ad agencies treat customers in a better way ???

Why do customer buy our products

Amit Gupta — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:36:45 +0000

Why do customer buy our products?

a) We feel your product is the latest.

b) We have a best marketing plan.

c) We have the best solution for the customer need.

Obviously C, customers buy our product not for any other reason. Customers will be happy and keeping come back to us if we keep meeting their need. We should strive to not only meet but exceed customer’s expectations. And while doing so there are moments where the customer feels delighted.

The delight come from the “experiences ” we give to the customers and not the product. The experience offered to customers at every stage of product and sales cycle. This may come from things as simple as speaking to the customer about his experience with the product and getting his viewpoint to improve the product.

These experiences are used to sell products also. One such beautiful example is recent advertisement of “Reliance Mobile”. Amazing execution of the advertisement has translated a simple message of wider connectivity in a soul touching experience.

The storyline is set in a backdrop of temples in high-rise Himalayas. A couple is praying for the whole family and suddenly the lady realizes something… Calls up the dadi (Grand mom) and let her hear the sound of temple bells. This is a divine experience for the dadi and she feels like being present right there in the temple.

Great experience. And emotions sell well in India.

Makaan.com TV Commercial

Amit Gupta — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:43:18 +0000

After 7 months of launch makaan.com has come out with a TVC. And as an associated sponsor to the Extra Innings during IPL. I hope Makaan will generate loads of brand recall.

There are various factors what make this commercial stand out including a very well executed and co-ordinated performance of animated Mouse Character and human actor. This commercial has a very peppy and hummable background score.

Catch this throughout the telecast of IPL. As of now check this out :

IPL – Kab Aayega Baap !!!

Amit Gupta — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:59:31 +0000

Kab aayega ranjan aur mano ka baap! There is an extensive and long search for ranjan and mano for their baap. After a long wait of 8 years and endless taunting of people their mother attempts suicide. Suddenly we discovered who is “mano-ranjan ka baap”

Hilarious and simply brilliant is how I would describe latest commercial of DLF – Indian Premier League. Agency has successfully married the two biggest religion of nation Cricket and Bollywood in this one script. The advertisement not only has brilliant story line but also executed to the perfection.

The tempo was build over a period of time and viewers’ curiosity was raised to a level that it becomes a talking point among them. Everyone wanted to know “Kaun hai bachcho ka baap”.

Hope the IPL itself also turns out to be equally exciting.

How to stop telemarketing calls

Amit Gupta — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:16:07 +0000

I just come across an Interesting email doing rounds.

Ten ways to stop those credit card sales, mobile companies, insurance calls from irritating you:

1 After the telemarketer finishes speaking, ask him/her to marry you.

2 Tell the telemarketer you are busy at the moment, and ask him/her, if he/she will give you his/her home phone number so you can call him/her back.

3 Ask them to repeat everything they say, several times.

4 Tell them it is dinnertime, BUT ask if they would please hold. Put them on your speakerphone while you continue to eat at your leisure. Smack your food loudly and continue with your dinner conversation.

5 Tell them that all business goes through your agent, and hand the phone to your five-year-old child.

6 Tell them you are hard of hearing and that they need to speak up…. louder… louder… louder!

7 If they start out with, “How are you today?”, say “I’m so glad you asked, because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems………….”

8 Tell them to speak very slowly because you want to write every word down.

9 Cry out in surprise, “Helen, is that you? I’ve been hoping you’d call! How is the family?” When they insist they are not Helen, tell them to stop joking. This works especially well if the telemarketer is really MALE.

10 Tell the ICICI call center guy to call on your office number – and give him the HSBC call center number.

TRY THEM OUT…

Talent Search 2.0

Amit Gupta — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 07:00:03 +0000

Every child has heard this umpteen times. Every time there is a guest parents insist child to recite a poem or sing a song. A latest song hummed by the child makes parents proud of their child’s talent. Child gets rewarded through lots of praises. Now the stage has grown and children perform in front of live and TV audience. Various talent hunt shows has make this bigger than ever and the rewards has grown too. Few days back , one such show held a finale at where contestants performed and whole nation seemed to vote for them. The winner takes 20 laks of cash, a brand new car. Now that’s something really big for a teenager. Infact the youngest winner who takes 10 laks as reward was not even in his teens. Its amazing to see the talent getting rewarded in style.

Indian Redifined

Amit Gupta — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 06:57:49 +0000

India has evolved and so does Indian. Hey, I am talking about Indian, the state owned domestic airlines. I was scheduled to fly today morning to Mumbai by 8:00AM flight. As expected the flight was delayed (Still waiting for the final departure time to be announced, As I am writing this at airport).

This has now become a standard and not the exception for all airlines to delay departures. But I was talking about something else.

I got an unexpected call at 5:45 in morning. This was from call center of the airlines announcing the delay of 1hr 45 Min. I was pleasantly surprised to hear from them (Not because flight is delayed because they saved me from waiting unnecessary at the airport lounge hearing announcements). But my team was not fortunate enough as all of them has already started from their respective places.

They but of course were cursing me as I met them at airport at 9:15. But these delays surely exhaust persons before they actually start the day. Fortunately we have planned for the delays and actually we are traveling A DAY IN ADVANCE for our presentation tomorrow

Reliance : Thy Name Trust

Amit Gupta — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:58:33 +0000

Reliance by virtue of its name generate confidence. And Ambani’s has done unthinkable to keep the flag flying high for these years. I may not understand the depth of share market but this is my take on reliance as an consumer.

People has shown immense faith in the Reliance Power IPO and oversubscribed it as expected. The issue bombed on the day of listing and thousands have burned thier fingures. And then came the unexpected announcement of Bonus shares. And now talks of buy back of shares.

Hatoff to Mr Anil Ambani . This is a great gesture of corporate giant to show support to millions who have trusted them over years and keep thie confidence alive in BRAND RELIANCE.