Yesterday was the seminar: Cracking the Indian consumer code hold in Stockholm, Sweden. It was full of great speakers and audience (the moderator was me…). It was like traveling to India for one day. Only that point is a concept to discover (one day trip: Food, people and language can replace the country for one day).
The opening speaker was the Indian Ambassador, Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa how gave us an update in modern India. As one of the excellent speakers, Preeta Signh said it is not possible to talk about al India, you have to choose the part you like to talk about. The same goes for this incredibly day. Another Speaker vice President Christina Baines of Indiska Magazinet told us the story about how to launch in India (going back to their rots). Author and Indian expert Per Johan Andersson painted a picture of India for us to take part in.
The evening did move on to probably the best Indian restaurant in Stockholm: Curry Plaza. Most of the Indian restaurants in Sweden are sadly bad advertising for India. The Japanese are working with the quality of restaurants serving their culture; I hope other countries also protect the quality experience of their culture. If they do so it will be easier to travel to another country for one day.
Related post: Silja Line goes Bollywood
Mr Dev Anand is one of the biggest Bollywood stars in history. Did meet him 8/10-2007 in Stockholm at the Sweden India Film Association. His passion for film is like fire and fuel to get the fire burning is stories. I wont say his age but he is born in 1923, and still burning. Did take the photo with my mobile so its not the sharpest, but he was sharper.
Here are some of his answers to our questions:
What’s your main source of inspiration? My self!
What do you think about increased competition in the film industry? The bigger challenge, the bigger quality.
And his one-liners:
I am in love with cinemas, its my soon, my father, my mother.
I don’t do documentaries, I do stories!
All film I made is my best film; otherwise I would not make them.
If I do a film in another country the idea need to be international. If I came here to do a film it needs to be understand in India and the rest of the world.
India is rich, India is poor, India is everything!
About his new book “Romancing with Life” he put it this way: “You will find me talking on every pages of this book.”
Many CEOs can use his statement: “Being a person of the people is success formula!
In November I had the honor to hold a lecture at Advertising Agencies Association of India in Mumbai and did hold interviews. I am a big fan of Bollywood movies so I created a word I called Bollybranding improvised at the lecture and used in the interviews (press and television). The Association of Swedish Advertisers is arranging a seminar on the 6th of April and ONE of the topics is Bollybranding. Their invitation looks like a Bollywood movie. At the seminar a prominent speaker is coming to talk about the topic Bollybranding from India: Mr Suku Murti, Managing Partner, MindShare Content, Mumbai. In this week the global prestiges magazine Brand Strategy is having an article about Bollybranding.
I think it is so fun how this story have grown to be a topic in the Advertising world. Therefore I now have a site Bollybranding.com that maybe will grow.
Hope you enjoyed this story on how the Swedish and Indian Advertising worlds are getting closer.
Last evening at an Indian version of Oscars Award I talked with a gentleman from the army. On his business card they had their manifesto “DO OR DIE.” That is a bit stronger than JUST DO IT, but at the same time it conveys different values.
The DD Awards 2005 was more than different from Oscar Awards. The purpose of this Award was to show their respect and honors to the stars behind the stars. It was a most humble thing to do and it would be great to see Brad Pit and Merleene Streep to give the award to best sound technician.Same thing in corporation, most of the time the lights only shines in one direction,
still the source is powered from both directions.
Categories like: “Best film building” and “Best technique in film studio” sounded a bit different but had an entrepreneur dimension. The price winner at this award seemed to be more passionate about doing a good work than build their stars. It felt like they are in it for the big picture and not only a star role.
After missing lunch, I ran to the Award in costume and tie. It was held outside in 30 degrees celsius and lasted for nearly 6 hours so I was more in to DIE than DO but I love Bollywood and learn more about the star behind the stars, and so should you.
In India the culture is stronger than any Brand book in the world. That is the reason for why Worldwide CEO of Lowe, Tony Wright talked about the colonial corporate and that its time is over at his lecture last week in Mumbai for the AAAI seminar.
Not listen to and understand a strong and powerful culture with 1,3 billion people mean that you wont sell your product. Coca-Cola is right now learning this lesson the hard way in India.
Everyone has heard of Singapore Airlines; they’re famous for friendly service and letting the traveller experience Singapore for hours before actually arriving (their brand is flying high).
Everyone has heard of Singapore Airlines; they’re famous for friendly service and letting the traveller experience Singapore for hours before actually arriving (their brand is flying high). Less well-known is the Malaysian car Proton, even though it has sales in the billions of dollars. Although its visibility is improving, it suffers from the limitation of many other Asian brands: it has had trouble charging its brand with a rich culture. Why not let the rich culture shine through in the visible design of the car. Another problem is the product itself. The two are inextricably intertwined as they were for the Japanese auto industry in the early 60’s, an industry that produced fair cars with a laughable brand. Through a combination of branding and improved product quality, Japanese cars are now considered by many to be the best in the world. If Proton doesn’t improve their quality they are soon going to feel the negative side of consumer power in hate web sites. Surviving as a brand on a transparent market means delivering on promises – rumour and word of mouth travel much faster than any car on the planet. The blogs and the media are full of stories of quality problems, yet the company has responded mostly with advertising.
Some consumers are saying that they “love to hate Proton” – this is not the sort of passion you want for your brand. Why not just be honest and tell the customers the truth. Why not ask them for their help to improve and make them believe in the brand again by becoming ONE with Proton.
Malaysia is in many ways one of the most beautiful countries in the world and its products should live up to the role of ambassador in the same way as Singapore Airlines does for Singapore. Proton should move their boardroom out into the breathtaking Malaysian countryside to stimulate change, to open the door for input from customers and to usher in a new era devoted to reaching new goals with customers, suppliers and employees. That, if anything, would inspire ”Creative Management”.
I am a big fan of Bollywood movies and Mumbai is the place where bollywood is located and where they make most of the movies. Maybe soon we will see the Worldwide CEO of Lowe doing some local Bollywood dancing with the billions of consumers in India (then he is doing “Bollybranding” as I call it).
Update Mars 1:
Some more to read about India/Bollybranding on this blog:
Bollybranding to Sweden
ONE lecture at The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI).
Culturestones – Things that last over time
Fortune Magazine on Hollywood vs. Bollywood
Create more Kodak moments
DO OR DIE
How you can start ONE newspaper today!
Update 13 April:
Bollybranding will make you dance
