MHO: Attractive vs. Likeable

It is more effective for an unattractive person to communicate their intention explicitly to the target consumers; it is on the opposite for unattractive person.

It is less perceived as serving self-interest when a likeable person expresses their intention explicitly to the target market.

It is neither explicit nor implicit when an unlikable person communicates their intention, they will still receive unfavorable response from the target market.

However, when an attractive and likeable person associated with too many advertisement, he/she will receive unfavorable response from the target consumers, regardless of the message is explicitly or implicitly communicated.

MHO: TVC Effective?

A TVC is said effective when target consumers understand the story of your TVC, and create excitement of relating the story in the community; subsequently lead to viral effect. The story line must be clear cut and easily understood; Eye catching and focus, and must avoid showing more than 2 focused items in one frame in the TVC, because consumers only have a pair of eyes that can lock at one thing at a time.

MHO: Company Endorser vs. Spokeperson

I read a research piece that research on the effectiveness of company name and company spoke-person on purchase intention- which one is more effective. The research concluded that company name can help to burnish the name of the product and increase purchase intention of consumers espeically when it coupled with spokepersons' effect. However, I disagree, because it depends on 'what type of company'; it is obviously true if you speak of P&G, but not true for small company...

MHO: Endorsers effect on Teenagers

Endorsers works better on teenagers than older person; because it helps to incite teenagers non-rational behaviors, and Materialistic orientation.

MHO: Coach vs. Teacher

Photo taken from here!

Coach - when you see your path, but slightly covered by mist, and you use both your hand digging along your path, your coach would be someone who light up far in front of you along your path from time to time to reaffirm you that you are 'right'! don't worry!

Teachers - a person who would just 'pinch' your nose, and tell you, 'come here!, this way'.....

MHO: Agency vs. Client

There’re a few principles to ensure a happy, and effective working relationship between agency and clients,

For agency;

a) Agency needs to always try to maintain a harmonious working relationship with clients

b) Agency needs to understand that client pay you for our work and creative idea; experiences which the client is short of, remember that, client won’t need you if they have the capability anyway!

c) Agency needs to always think positively, behave positively, and act positively, because you will get pressure, get rejected, and being forced to complete something under unreasonable timeline

For clients,

a) Trying to work with agency to maintain harmonious relationship

b) Trying to think positively, behave positively, and act positively at anytime; but also must understand that you are a client, and has the authority to reject, pressure and force something through…

c) Be tough when needed…because being tough is being frank, vice versa…sometimes being too loose, client tends to indulge the agency, and agency tends to get used to it and become ‘slow’ in a fast moving environment; in another words, you are being de-prioritized by agency!

MHO: Is celebrity endorser effective?

Photo from here

Is celebrity endorser effective? I personally, would say base on your objective, if you objective is to create awareness for your brand, then celebrity endorser can give your brand a kick; if not, endorser is a waste of money! Furthermore, endorser work well among the younger generation, if your target consumers are age around 16 -25 (approximately), celebrity endorser would work pretty well;

a) Among non user - it creates good awareness
b) Among current user - it build loyalty (i.e. celebrity is using the brand I used)

Unfortunately, endorser do not work well with older generation;

a) Among non user - what's so good about the celebrity??
b) Among current user - they are old enough to know its 'Ad Tactics'....

MHO: Like the TVC or Like the Product?

Most Expensive TVC from Guinness - HERE

The role of advertisement is to communicate the product message to the consumers. As such, the Ad must ensure consumer understand the message. Makers need to put in perspective that creating an Ad that consumer like is not the key success factor. The Key success factor is to create an Ad that helps viewer to learn and understand the product, and eventually incite their interest to know more.

MHO: Increase credibility?

(With reference to above article) Writing a letter to editor, publishing a book or even show up in TV program is not going to help. The few recommendations from author are unlikely to showcase your professionalism. Even so, you are just paving your way towards becoming ‘celebrity agency’ or ‘celebrity-Pro’ or in another word “Cele-Pro”.

My personal experience tells, Celebrity Pro never get things done; instead, those practical and committed, real Professional Agency get thing done quickly enough! Furthermore, Cele-Pro is too busy with own program, and their ‘show-face’ event; hardly have time to meet their own client. Thus, most of the projects are in fact covered by their subordinate. This type of Cele-Pro agency is all ‘talk’, and no ‘quality action’.

Company who wishes to engage Professional Agency for consultation, should always make a reference to Agency’ portfolio, ignore all those ‘glamorous’ awards, TV program or commentary they’ve made; focus on the work they’ve done come more effective, because their work showcase their real capability, and whether their style meet client’ need or requirement.

MHO: Out of Stock Situation

Photo taken from here

The common problem encountered by many others players in Fast-Moving Consumer Good Industry (FMCG) are the ‘Out of Stock’ situation in retail outlet, not that stock is ‘sold-out’ but stock is ‘sleeping’ in the back-yard, simply no one replenished the stock on-shelves. There are few reasons for it;

1. Retailers throwing price – giving a very good discount price, or, in another words, selling very cheap, and can even be at cost price; this is treated as one of the promotion strategy to pull crowd to the outlet; however, since it is sold on a loss, retailers are reluctant to replenish the stock for you, and intentionally slowing the replenishing process.

2. Out Stock Situation even when there’s no promotion activity in the outlet, this is because merchandiser (people who replenish your stock for you) work during the day, and they covered quite a number of outlets during the day; they do not work at night.

1. Outlet where merchandiser covered in the early of the day may have gone out of stock in the evening. This does not mean merchandiser do not do their work; this is a situation is inevitable.

2. Outlet having heavier traffic at night because consumers shop after works, thus stock is moving fast during late evening, if the outlet already suffers from ‘stock replenishing’ issue, the situation is worsen; furthermore, most of the merchandiser do not work at night (unless company subscribes to 3^rd party merchandising specialist and instruct them to do so)

• Situation is worsen especially when retailers are throwing price with the mindset to reduce loses (refer No.1)

What can the company do to alleviate the impact?

a) Hiring more promoters, and place in outlets where stock is fast moving; so that promoters can also help to replenish stock (specially at night – promoters can start on Noon Shift)

b) Getting 3^rd party merchandising specialist to assist in replenishing the stock; but can come far more expensive

c) Re-schedule current merchandisers’ to cover important outlet at night – this also means paying ‘Over-time’ for the job done by merchandisers.

d) Apart from all above, company can spend money for Additional block display so that stock is piled up on the pallets (usually 4ft x 4ft or 4ft x 8ft); so that when shelve is Out of Stock, consumers can still pick it up from block display (but this may not solve the OOS situation in store level)

Prince: ''Stupid Elephant!"

Strategy formulation is sometimes like the story of “blind man & elephant”; each different blind man gives a different thought about an elephant; at strategic level, we are to look at total pictures (the wholeness of an elephant), and pass it down so that they conclude the right way, then we need to tell them that they need this elephant to take them to their destination. After all, they are on their own in managing the elephant, and from the top, we provide timely advice of the appropriate method in riding the elephant.

However, strategy will still go wrong, a) when ‘method’ provided is wrong, or b) the ‘rider’ is sleeping through the journey, and c) strategist not trying to wake ‘them’ up; but often, the comfort riding on elephant is too tempting to sleep, waking them up, piss them off, and they ‘sleep’ again, and here it goes, wrong direction, and the common occurrence is that, the rider wake up, and shout, ‘Stupid Elephant!’