Marketing As Unusual

Standing out in the clutter that the marketing world is today remains an elsuive target for most brands. But there are some who have shown exemplary application in using 'Unconventional Marketing' methods to create a niche for themselves. These are the brands that were under scrutiny as IIPM International, Bangalore's seminar series - 'Endeavour 2008' kicked off for the year 2008-09 with a conclave on 'Unconventional Marketing'. The underlying theme discussed by the panel comprising of Mr. Rahul Balyan (the cluster business head - Kerala and Karnataka for Radio Mirchi), Mr. L Surendra (CEO, SSB Industries Ltd), Mr. Nanda Kishore M P (Creative Consultant, Azim Premji Foundation) and Mr. Harkamal Singh (Marketing Consultant) was how marketing creates customers but 'unconventional' marketing creates millions of them! Mr Balyan started proceedings sharing three approaches he felt helped cut through in the clutter. 'Tapping into consumers' passions' was one, 'Sponsored Culture' (making the brand or marketing platform an integral part of the customer's life like the IPL did) was another and 'leveraging PR' (the way Apple does with the buzz that surrounds Steve Jobs's keynote address every year) was the final approach he discussed. Rahul's interaction was enriched with his own experiences at Radio Mirchi and his earlier stint at Asian Paints. Mr. Nanda Kishore presented his own refreshing insight on things relating Jay Conrad Levinson's 'Guerilla Marketing' concept to how one can be different when it comes to tapping the attention of consumers. Mr. L Surendra who followed next backed up the same with more examples and even 'demonstrated' how to be unconventional. He deliberately wore his tie backwards and that grabbed the audience's attention! His take on it? If you aren't radically different, you won't be noticed and hence, risk is an integral part of doing things the 'unconventional' way. He also drew parallels between 'unconventional' and 'innovative' marketing. Finally, it was Harkamal Singh who signed off with a personal account of the different things Ranbaxy, where he has spent 25 years in the marketing division, did while marketing pharmaceuticals. The final message was simple to the students - 'Do think 'out of the box' but keep your feet on the ground and first understand what the 'box' is i.e. know your basics'. That's the convention of 'unconventional marketing', a term which Mr. Balyan called an oxymoron. Oxymoron or not, 200 IIPM Bangalore students, did realize one thing clearly - 'Unconventional' is no longer just a choice, it's the need of the hour.