Studies commissioned by major global companies have identified four main reasons behind the success of emotional appeals over straight rational appeals in advertising:
* We're more likely to notice words with an emotional appeal
* We're more likely to remember ads with emotional appeals
* We're more likely to become involved with a product when an emotional appeal is made.
* We're more likely to believe that a product will give us those intangible benefits the advertisers want us to believe in, when emotional appeals are made
Since we Indians are an awfully emotional lot, the above findings fit us even more tightly. Perhaps that is why Indian advertisers are so happy using messages that appeal to our feelings. But jumping on the emotional bandwagon, without first establishing credibility through product performance and quality, is a sure shot recipe for failure in the long-term. In our first article, Brand Strategist Shombit Sengupta reflects on the credibility factor in communication messages which, he asserts, comes from building a compelling "fil conducteur" – the core values that seamlessly interconnect key aspects of all deliverables across an organisation.
In her column "Customer First", internationally acclaimed management guru Patricia Seybold tells us why organisations are better off embracing a customer-adaptive approach instead of pursuing internally-driven business processes.
In addition to the above, many other marketing luminaries share their insights and perspectives with us. Sandip Tarkas offers his outlook on how technology has impacted media and what challenges advertisers face in catching the e-age consumer, who is surrounded by a cluttered environment. Lynn De Souza discusses the complexities of media planning in the changing Indian media scenario. And then we have Harish Bijoor sketching a silhouette of the pioneer marketer and Muhamed Muneer suggesting ways for small brands to challenge the big ones.
We also have two contributions by our research team – on commodity branding and organised retailing. Plus the customary case study to whet your appetite – so that you eagerly look forward to our next issue!
We're sure you'll enjoy the issue. And yes, keep your feedback coming.
Happy Reading!

Bhaskar Das

bhaskar.das@timesgroup.com