Gandhi – The Master PR Practitioner (Salt march PR/Dandi PR)

Gandhi – The Master PR Practitioner (Salt march PR/Dandi PR)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who is hailed as the father of our nation, in my opinion, is one of the most effective PR practitioners. He was a master strategist and understood his target audience very well and crafted his communication accordingly. Although he held no office, he was able to captivate the minds of India’s millions and took control of Congress and its elite, sophisticated and cynical leadership. It was his passion, careful consideration and discipline which got him the recognition which has well sustained beyond the man himself. Below are the reasons why I think he was the ultimate PR practitioner and a Brand:

01

The Salt March

The Salt march also popularly known as the Dandi March, was one of his most powerful campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience which had a massive support. The Salt Acts imposed on Indians prohibited them from collecting or selling salt. Indians were forced to buy salt which was a natural resource and a staple in the Indian diet which was needed to replace the salt lost by sweating. The British, who, in addition to exercising a monopoly over the manufacture and sale of salt, also imposed a salt tax. It contributed to almost 8.2% of the British Raj tax revenue. Gandhi, the brilliant strategist, thought that an item of daily use could resonate well with all classes of citizens of India and he chose mass civil disobedience to tackle the issue. In March 1930 Gandhi and 78 of his close associates marched from Sabarmati ashram, some 240 miles to the Arabian sea to take a pinch of salt. He informed the government well in advance about his intention to break the law to make salt. The British government threw people in jail for violating the law and censored the press. Despite that, the Media covered the event in great detail and people across the nation followed suit even though Gandhi was already in prison. Jails in India were filled with 60,000 Satyagrahis whom the British imprisoned.

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02

Effective use of media

Gandhi was probably one of the greatest journalists of all time, and the publications he ran and edited were probably the greatest ones the world has known. In 1904 in South Africa, he had taken over the editorship of the ‘Indian Opinion’ and published it in English, Tamil, and Gujarati, sometimes running the press himself. He is known to have written on all subjects; he wrote simply, clearly and forcefully. His writing was passionate and burning indignation. He believed that the objective of a newspaper, is to understand the popular feeling and give expression to it; to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments, and the third is to be fearless and to expose popular defects. He took up journalism more as a service to the public and he was devoid of any personal ambitions. He used his writing as a vehicle to present his various experiments to the public.

03

Signature style

He believed in powerful symbols and designed a headgear as a symbol of Indian unity which later came to be known as the Gandhi Topi. His own dress was one of the foremost and most visible symbols he adopted–the loincloth and shawl of homespun fabric –which he deliberately chose, after careful consideration, to show solidarity with India’s grinding poverty. We all know that clothing is an important way to communicate one’s personality and not merely playing a role or dressing solely to impress. This became his trademark attire which eventually got him a name of ‘half-naked fakir’ from Sir Winston Churchill. By the time that India’s independence was won, the homespun cloth or Khadi was inextricably woven into the fabric of India’s life. Even today Khadi is the unofficial uniform of India’s political leaders.

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04

Powerful Orator

Gandhi is seen as one of the world’s great inspiring public speakers. He could inspire all classes of people whether they were freedom fighters, thinkers or even the farmers. He was very articulate and considerate in expressing his thoughts. His talk was authentic and could move the whole nation into action.

How to Establish Thought Leadership by Leveraging Content

How to Establish Thought Leadership by Leveraging Content

While creating authentic, authoritative and informative content is essential to establish Thought Leadership, we need to be able to distribute it to a large audience. This post takes a look at a three-pronged approach to sharing great content created by you.

01

Company Blog

It is general knowledge that a blog on the website drives traffic. If the blog is educative or informative without being sales oriented, it can bring fresh traffic to your website and keep current customers coming back for meaningful, first-hand insights. Done right, a blog is an effective marketing tool to promote the business. Apart from driving traffic to the website, it also increases your sales and establishes you as an authority in the industry. All it takes is some time for writing, and quality content, preferably experiential.
Ideally, the blog should aim to either solve a problem for your customers or provide examples of problems solved. A great strategy can also be to answer the frequently asked questions.
The content can reach a vast network if the blogs are easily shareable by the reader on popular social media platforms.

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02

Contributing to Media

Many media houses accept and publish articles written by industry experts as a way to add an ‘insider’ perspective to their publications.These articles, however, need to be neutral and need to be informative. These will reach the reader base of the publication (who may not have heard of you). It is well worth the effort to create and submit articles – usually referred to as authored or bylined articles to business or industry publications. It is an excellent PR strategy and positions you as a Subject Matter Expert.

03

Building content on LinkedIn Pulse

Posts published on LinkedIn become a part of your professional profile and they go a long way in building credibility. They are shared with your network and reach the large group of professionals. LinkedIn allows people to follow you even if they are not in your network, increasing the reach of your posts. LinkedIn enhances your visibility & credibility.  A great way to drive additional traffic to your website is to write a summary of the blog and share it on your profile with a link to your website.

 

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04

A few aspects can be kept in mind:

  1. Content needs to provide insights to the reader. It can be best practices or what customers / prospective customers may be asking for.
  2.  Keep the Language simple with least use of jargon.
  3. Maximise the reach of the articles/blog posts by sharing them on your social platforms.
  4. Maximise by repurposing them as infographics, or e-books which are downloadable.

 Related: Who is a Thought Leader? What is Thought Leadership Marketing?

 

Design is more than just a Software Tool

Design is more than just a Software Tool

Design is more than software tools 1

 

There are three responses to a piece of design – Yes, No, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for. – Milton Glaser

To instil the WOW in your audience, you need a great combination of concept, content and design. Easier said than done, right?
This blog addresses how to get the WOW emotion from your audience through design.

Does a software tool have anything to do with creating an extraordinary design?

Most of us are familiar with the “I heart New York” logo, Milton Glaser came up with that in the back of a taxi on his way to a meeting in the year 1977.

Hardware tools used: Pen and Paper
Software tool used: None.

This logo earns the New York state close to $30 million each year.
Did he use any exquisite software tool? No.

It is a common misconception among many that, to design, you need to have a good software in place. This was not the case a couple of decade’s back when designs were manually done with pen, paper and sketch boards.

To design is to envision, it is to see something that doesn’t yet exist.
To design is to give your ideas and thoughts, physical form.

If you’re new to designing and you feel that not knowing a particular software is holding you back from what you want to achieve, this article is for you. It is also for designers who feel they can’t reach their pinnacle because of lack of knowledge of a particular software.

“I am a great believer in the primacy of drawing as a means of engaging the world & understanding what you’re looking at.”   – Milton Glaser

The design you make is a medium through which you communicate your ideas. Designing with a pen and an artboard has its own perks. To design it with a pen is to give it physical form. Work done manually always lasts longer in your memory.

Listed below are the general requirements for designing:

01

Ideas

Ideas are the mysterious spur in our minds about a particular subject. Each one has his own ideas and that is why we are so unique. Having an idea is the first step towards good design. Ideas are the fundamental blocks of design.

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design software tool strategy

02

Strategy

Strategize how you want to achieve your design, a design is a combination of ideas. Haphazard execution of ideas would lead to a mess.

03

Vision

Designing is like walking in a dark tunnel until you find the light at the end of that tunnel. Then you go back and get other people to also see that light.

Roughly picturize how you want your final design to look. When you start you have no idea what your final design will look like, but you must have rough a picture in your head. To envision is to create a path to that light source at the end of the tunnel.

 

design software tool vision
design software tool memorability

04

Memorability

To create a good design is to make it rememberable and distinct. Simpler is better. The first impression should be a lasting impression.

05

Intricacy

The details of your design are very important. The smallest details have the largest impact on the big picture. Scrutinise to the minutest detail.

design software tool intricacy

06

Patience

Patience is a requirement for all designers. Some days are tough, where your ideas seem abysmal. Take a walk, free your mind by engaging with people.Talking helps in exchange of ideas, also giving rise to fresh ones.

Designing software’s are means by which you create your design. It is the workplace for your design and is a means to an end.

Who is a Thought Leader? What is Thought Leadership Marketing?

Who is a Thought Leader? What is Thought Leadership Marketing?

You might have come across the term Thought Leader in big events, the media, newspapers or websites. But Who is a Thought Leader? What does he do? You’ve probably heard people saying Bill Gates is a Thought Leader or Steve Jobs is a Thought Leader. Does that mean you have to build a multi-billion dollar organisation to become one?
Well, not exactly. Although, that is one way to go about it.

Who is a Thought Leader? What does a Thought Leader Do?

A Thought Leader is a reliable, informed Opinion Leader and a go-to person in his/her field of expertise or domain. He/She is a trusted source of information and guidance, who moves and inspires people with innovative ideas, turns ideas into reality. He/She works, not just for the benefit of his organisation, but for the betterment of the domain and the entire eco-system. They address and solve some of the biggest problems faced by the eco-system.

Thought Leaders can be an individual, a group or an organisation.

Are You a Thought Leader?

Well, it’s a simple checklist.

  1. Are you making a difference to the community/ecosystem?
  2. Do you have revolutionary/break-through ideas?
  3. Do startups, business owners, media or people at large, seek your guidance/consultation in a particular field?
  4. Are you called upon to solve large problems?
  5. Do you inspire people/organisations to make a difference to the community/ecosystem?

If you have a few of these checked, chances are, you’re a Thought Leader.

What is Thought Leadership Marketing?

Thought Leadership Marketing is the craft of positioning yourself or your organization as a constant source of guidance, innovation, and compelling, reliable content, thereby attaining the status of a Thought Leader.

How to Become a Thought Leader?

A word of caution, this does not happen overnight. It is a long, persistent effort. But the journey is always rewarding for you and the organisation. One sure way is through Thought Leadership Marketing. Your company can be viewed in the same way by creating content that resonates with your customers and members of your industry.

One sure way is through Thought Leadership Marketing. There are 5 aspects to it.

01

Great Branding (Personal or Company)

How you position your organisation is everything. It addresses your brand’s mission, it’s goals, it’s domain, it’s target audience and it’s USP. This is the first thing that needs to be done as it sets hygiene in place and it becomes the foundation for all the other activities. People need to know who they are dealing with and what they believe in.

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02

Content Marketing

They say ‘Content is King’. I know, I know. It’s cliched. But it never gets old because it’s true. Your content drivers all your other activities. What people seek from you is information, consistently. There’s not getting around that. It is one of the most effective ways to convey your value proposition, your contributions, and your mission.

03

Public Relations

People underestimate the value of public relations. It is Earned Media and it demands reverence. A journalist’s credibility is on the line when they write something, and they have a huge expectation from the publication and their readers to give them credible, compelling information. Getting covered in the right publication could be one of the most valuable additions in your Thought Leadership Marketing Campaign.

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04

Social Media

Social Media is an affordable platform to reach a vast majority of your target audience (depending on your domain). It is probably the easiest way to get your message across the masses. It goes without saying that the social media posts need to be interesting. Quora, Reddit, and some other forums go a long way in establishing your value. (We advise a word of caution when using social media because you are accountable for what you say.)

05

Events

Nothing beats meeting your peers, followers face to face. It establishes a connect unlike any other. Finding a speaking slot at relevant events and delivering a meaningful, relevant speech can be extremely effective in certifying your domain expertise. When you deliver one good speech, people tend to invite you for more speaking slots.

But remember, with great power comes great responsibility. It is a thought leaders duty to work towards the betterment of the domain and the eco-system.

If you found this blog useful, we would love to have a conversation with you and hear about it. If I have missed out something, please feel free to write it in the comments section.

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Does your Brand need Brand Guidelines (Brand Book)

Does your Brand need Brand Guidelines (Brand Book)

brand guidelines

You’ve thought of an amazing brand name, come up with a spectacular logo, you’ve paid top dollar and built a gorgeous website. Every piece of material that goes out of your company is meticulously detailed. But people still don’t seem to remember your company name, or what your company sells, or even what your logo looks like. Have you ever wondered why that is?

The answer is simple. Your branding lacks consistency and direction.

Your Brand is more than just a name or a logo or a website. It is an experience.

And you can (to a certain degree) craft this experience for your target audience. How?

By Means of a Brand Guidelines (Brand Book)

What are Brand Guidelines?

A Brand Guideline (also referred to as a ‘brand book‘ or  ‘brand style guide‘) is a set of rules that details how your brand works and how your brand should be represented. These guidelines include the Identity elements and Visual elements of your brand.

The Brand Identity Elements are:

  1. Your Brand Story
  2. Your Brand Philosophy (Mission, Vision, and Values)
  3. Your Brand Personality / Brand Voice
  4. Boilerplate etc.

 

The Brand Visual Elements include:

  1. Logo and tagline
  2. Proper and Improper usage of Logo and Tagline (With visual examples)
  3. Your colour palette
  4. Your typography
  5. Stationary / Merchandise design
  6. Brand Do’s and Don’t’s etc.    

Does your Brand need Brand Guidelines?

The Short Answer is YES. Here’s why:

 

01

Ensures Continuity

Your brand is bound to be represented by more than one person/agency.  Your Brand guidelines ensure that whoever is representing your brand, follows a set of rules and regulations so that the target audience is familiar with the voice and image of the brand.

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02

Ensures Correct Usage

Stretched Logos, mixed up colours, terrible backgrounds, blurry images, these are a brand custodians worst nightmare. And this is precisely what will be avoided with a clear, specific and concise listing of how to use a brands marks.

03

Avoids Confusion

Multiple people represent a brand,  using brand guidelines ensures that anyone who represents your brand is familiar with the messaging, look and feel of the brand. This way, the target audience will always receive an undeviating constant communique.

 

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04

Sets Standards

A brand guideline clearly specifies the colour palette, font types/font combinations, background colour, logo usage etc. So all your collaterals will be consistent, the brand recall will be optimum.

05

Increases Brand Recall

Consistency will aid people in remembering your company name, the logo, what your company sells etc. It firmly plants the brand in the audience’s mind, and how it is perceived will be in your hands.

 

 

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Making your brand identity clear will go a long way in how people perceive your brand and how it’s short term and long term brand image shapes up.

Brand Guidelines is the difference between your brand being a bus headed nowhere and a bus headed to a destination.

 

Contact us to create a guideline for your brand today.

Interview with Business Growth Consultant – Heemanshu Ashar

Interview with Business Growth Consultant – Heemanshu Ashar

heemanshu ashar

Heemanshu Ashar is a Business Growth Consultant with 2 decades of experience across FMCG, Industrial and Service Industries spanning geographical boundary. At present Heemanshu consults companies in their 2X, 3X.. growth strategies starting from concept to implementation translating the next Big Idea into profitability. He accomplishes this using Branding, Marketing and Design disciplines extensively.

01

What does branding mean to you?

A Brand is a thought. When we think of a brand, we have a flash in our mind about the brand. This is a neurological response to the brand which is a summation of all experiences, perceptions and non-experiences about the brand. For example, we would have experienced Amul as a brand but may or may not experience any of the following – BASF, Siemens, Bosch, Zeiss directly but would have some idea of the presence etc. For some brands we would have experienced them daily like elevators in a building and would not care much whether they were from Otis or thyssenkrupp but would have an opinion about watches say from an HMT, Casio, Timex, Fastrack, Tanishq, Omega and a Rolex even if we own all or none of them (like me).

02

Why did you choose to focus on branding as a career?

People want to belong to something. A lot is written about how people buy things to make meaning about themselves. Things we buy are not merely serving the functional, but also the emotional and aspirational (needs). The colour of the car depicts what kind of a person I am as much as the model and make of the car. This is a wide opportunity to understand Branding as science, art, psychology, mathematics and economics built in one discipline. As pure marketing offers more than a lifetime of opportunities of learning and practising this craft of satisfying consumer needs – it is a rewarding career to devote a lifetime to.

03

Branding experts toss around terms like Brand identity, Brand image, Brand strategy etc. Can you connect these into a meaningful narrative (to the layman)?

Branding is part of Marketing and a social science and not a precise science like geometry, physics or mathematics. Hence, adding to the numerous definition of the above would be adding to the confusion. Hence definitions change to context, industry and maturity of the audience. So here is adding to the confusion.

Brand Identity – It is the composition of the graphic, numerical and text of a product (read as goods, services and experiences). For example the Brand Identity of Audi with 3 circles is clear and distinct to the 5 circles Identity of Olympics. The distinctiveness of these circles leaves no doubt in mind on which brand we are referring to.

Brand Image – is a composition of the tone of image, voice, text and narratives that define the Brand Identity. For example, Baskin and Robins ice cream is a family ice-cream with a 31 flavours range. Haagen Daz is an ice cream for adults and do not feature family imagery in their communication; yes they also have many flavours but the image of these ice-creams are distinct to each other. To draw a parallel Amul, Vadilal, Kwality and Arun Ice Creams have an image which is distinct. A brand image is not only what the brand is but also what it is not.

Brand Strategy – Strategy is a tool on how to deliver the Brand across its stakeholders not only its consumers, but suppliers, investors, employees and shareholders.

04

What does it take to build a brand? In the past it took years to establish a brand – Amul, Britannia etc., now we see the new age companies like swiggy, Flipkart, Paytm etc. which are already popular brands? What has changed?

At a dinner table last year, someone did ask me how much time it takes to build a global brand. I replied as soon he finished his question – A lifetime! This has not changed, as brands have to get continuous attention, nourishment and care from the marketeer to remain connected to its audience. There are now more tools of amplification through social media, marketing analytics and viral techniques but the principles remain the same only the methods of engagement changes.

Amuls and Britannias of India have survived because of their constant attention and nourishment of the brand, in their league, there were HMT, Parle, Garden Sarees, Hakoba, etc. have not remained contemporary to their audience and hence have suffered or phased from the public memory.

05

What are the aspects that make a brand memorable?

Feeling. It is the ‘Feeling’ of the brand that makes it memorable. As often heard, ‘Form’ follows ‘Function’. What follows ‘Form’?. ‘Feeling’ follows ‘Form’. Marketeers have to deliver ‘Feeling’ through Brand Experience in their product, messaging, purchasing and consumption. Only when marketeers focus on ‘Feeling’ they can achieve customer satisfaction, delight, joy which are all ‘Feelings’!

06

Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, in their book Groundswell, state “your brand is whatever your customers say it is…”, so what can marketers do to influence customer opinion?

The above sentence is incomplete. The brand is not only what the consumers says. Look at Kingfisher Airlines, when it was in operation, the flyers spoke highly about the flying experience, its check-in experience, in-flight entertainment and cuisine. But today lenders have a larger share of voice on their debt recoveries that has tarnished the brand image irreparably. Even if Kingfisher airline was bought over by a different airline it would be an uphill task to win back the same flyers.

Today the marketeer has to include all stakeholders of the brand and not only the customer.

07

What’s your advice to an entrepreneur regarding the best and surest brand building approach?

The first aspect is to believe that Brand Building is much needed, as any other function of Finance, HR, Sales and Operation. This is first and foremost for an entrepreneur.

The second is to plan a budget regardless of any product, business or geography for Brand Building without this it is an expense of whim and fancy by the entrepreneur. 

The third is to allocate and commit to the budget across the mediums of print, social, events etc. This is thought just a start of the journey. Last but not least, is to hire an expert deploying the marketing budget – as it is not only the expense account but responsible for sales.

Last but not least, is to hire an expert to deploy the marketing budget – as it is not only the expense account but is also responsible for sales.

08

Anything else you want to say to marketeers and business owners about branding.

Branding is about investment, of as much importance as investment in plant and machinery. Branding when converges with accounts and finance on the balance sheet translates to goodwill. Investing in Branding is investing in the value of the Business.