Zoozooing around

Well, after more than 30 days of Zoozooing on TV, it is beyond my doubt that these human aliens are an advertising success. As discussed, the simplistic communications were bang-on in illustrating the various VAS, besides successfully promoting brand Vodafone at the emotional level.

In the age where the 'concept' is increasingly driving the brand communications, Vodafone has lead the way with the Pug and now the Zoozoos. They say that viral is the चाबि to a successful campaign - where the consumers themselves start advertising the brand. Zoozoos' popularity on the internet (social networking sites and blogs) only prove the point of a strong concept doing the trick for a brand. In fact adept marketing lies in the agility of the brand to stoke consumer sentiments in the right direction - To its credit, Vodafone was quick to aid the promotion of Zoozoo on the internet.

Vodafone is slowly waking up to the idea of using Zoozoos in out-of-home media, and perhaps, print. However, in my opinion, the TVCs still form the backbone of the (still) hoardings - on seeing the OOH hoardings, I connect to the communication only by recalling the TVC and not from the OOH communication alone. The point I am trying to make here is, for all those who believe that the TVC is dead (in the age of new media), Vodafone and Ogilvy have shown how the TVC can serve as the 'operating system' (e.g. Windows), while other media communications (internet, OOH, print etc) can successfully run like programs (e.g. Office!!) and deliver results for the brand PC. TV still rules the advertising landscape - other traditional and new media can successfully compliment the TVC to deliver a "through-the-line" (ATL + BTL) knock-out punch for a brand.

Recession talk is in the air - from MBA classrooms to boardrooms. Various advertisements have milked this recession "cut-back" theme (including Airtel). Vodafone's Zoozoo comes as an 'egghead' of fresh breath in the gloom and doom. Although the Zoozoo may not prompt the expense-wary consumer to straightaway press the VAS button, the consumer may atleast have the VAS offerings in mind - as the Pundits have declared, VAS will be the new telecom battlefield in the future, now that voice and text has been conquered.

Last but not the least, lets spare a thought for the Vodafone (and Ogilvy) officials who sanctioned this creative and the huge media budgets. When I first saw a Zoozoo ad, I didn't exactly like it. But it grew on me. And I am sure that it grew on many of us. Vodafone and Ogilvy undoubtedly took a risk by putting the Pug in kindergarden for babysitting, to give birth to the Zoozoo. I am sure heads would've rolled, if not reputations tainted, in the event of a failure. But what a grand marketing success it is turning out to be! Cheers to the Zoozoo!

Marketing IT

Hi! In the Indian Information Technology (IT) industry, somehow, marketing is not given the highest priority. Atleast, the Indian IT majors don't give Marketing its due attention.

So you guys may also comment as to how can the Indian IT companies market themselves better. Your IT Marketing experience, if any, is welcome to be shared.... :-)