Sixth Sense of Marketing

Part 2 Whenever you see an Air India advertisement, it is hard to miss the "Maharajah" or the emperor which stands as a hospitable mascot for the brand since 1946. Strongly identifying its values with the rich cultural heritage of the country, Air India has positioned itself as a dynamic Indian brand that believes in "Atithi devo bhava" (a guest is like god). This is clearly impersonated in its mascot who humbly folds his hands in the form of "Namaste", a gesture of respect and welcome, widely used in the country. With disinvestment and privatisation on the cards, Air India's most recent marketing strategy might see a shift towards making it a more appealing buy for the potential investors. In this light, it is quite interesting to see the marketing journey of the airline and gauge how far it has come. While the entire brand talks of rich Indian culture and heritage, right from its inception, Air India is known to cause a stir through it...

Innumerable brands and innumerable products – all shouting at the consumer in  their own ways! Ways, which are different and yet, in essence, are all the same. In  this mayhem, each of these brands is trying to grab attention, trying to do something  “out of the box”. Ironically though, the term itself has become somewhat a cliché.  Appealing to the 5 senses of the consumers seems no longer enough and brands now need to touch that sixth sense which will not only strike “a” chord but, will strike the “right” one.Looking past the 5 levels of differentiation, i.e., technology, price, product, customer service and user experience, seems only a sensible option in this case. But what is the sixth level? To what extent has it been explored? - are the questions that still lay unanswered. India, a nation guided by sentiments, has at its heart the festivals that, in many ways,  define the people residing in it. To touch the chord connecting a brand to a...