After a long time I am (over)watching TV from yesterday. Like most of us, I too enjoy watching advertisements than watching TV programs. WTH is happening now…
Seems like HUL has a new strategy for media planning (compared to the good old days when I used to actively watch TV).
– All the ads in an entire break goes to HUL products!
– More than one ad for a product in the same theme are getting broadcast simultaneously but not immediately one after other
– There is a lot of reuse (dub!) of ads from other markets especially from Asia
– There is some reuse (remake!) of ads made for western audience
Instead of spending money on making the ads, is HUL spending money on purchasing media spots?
Is it an reflection of shakeup happened last year at HUL top management? For the past few years, HUL is trying to phase out local brands in favour of its international portfolio of brands. It succeeded in some cases and was forced to reintroduce and reposition the local brands in some cases. But reusing ads??? It is OK to position and promote a brand in simillar way in all the emerging markets (ex: Dove – real beauty). But same ads???
Earlier Indians never realized that the brands they use are international brands! I still remember getting shocked about this realization when I travelled out of India for the first time. (In fact it helped me to shop in Tokyo without understanding Japanese. 🙂 ) With the reuse of ads, this fact is projected more. Will Indians view it positively or negatively?
One can argue that projecting an International image will increase a brand’s value. This may probably due to the fact that (recent) historically we place foreign products above Indian products.
On the other hand, this also alienates the products from its consumer. Oh! the ‘my’ Lux is foreign product!
One can easily draw a parallel between this and regional movie industry. Probably due to the sheer number of movies produced, you can classify the regional movies (South Indian) movies into
1. Movies shot in other language and dubbed to local language
2. Movies originally shot in other language and then later remade in local language
3. Movies shot in multiple languages together or only in local language (don’t ask me where the storyline is flicked from)
In most of the cases probability of success of those movies are in reverse order. (oh! now I have to prove this hypothesis with alpha cut off of 5%?)
This can be attributed to the fact that, even if a product is good, if I see it not is made for me or worse hostile then I would rather settle for a good enough alternative.
Is HUL listening?
PS: I am interested in knowing about HUL’s media purchasing plan, any help?? BTW, which media house produced the Sunsilk’s ad with Priyanka Chopra?
Posted by Arumuga Azhagan 
Reflections 