Thoughts @ Amit Gupta

Abuse of Cost Per Click (CPC) Marketing?

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.

Tags: Advertising, CPC, Google, Internet & Mobile

Are Customers Sitting Duck

 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 ???

Tags: Advertising, customers, Tata Sky

Why do customer buy our products

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.

Tags: Advertisement, Makaan, Reliance

Makaan.com TV Commercial

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 :

Tags: Cricket, IPL, Makaan.com, Makaan.com TVC, Property, Real estate, Television

IPL – Kab Aayega Baap !!!

 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.

Tags: Advertisement, Cricket, India Insight & Beyond, IPL

How to stop telemarketing calls

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… 

Tags: customers, icici, Marketing & advertising, Mobile, telecalling, telemarketing

Talent Search 2.0

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.

Tags: Childhood, talent show

Indian Redifined

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

Tags: Airlines, India Insight & Beyond, Mumbai, Travel