BEND IT LIKE BEGGARS

‘Begging’ – The word which is unusually profane and sacrosanct simultaneously, is one of the most omnipotent forms of art performed across the continents. It is sacrosanct as it is discovered by a precocious snake (Bible says it could speak) who begged Eve to taste a forbidden apple (God in fact didn’t want 3^rd phase clinical trial of apple in Adam but snake).  According to Hindu mythology most of their Rishis lived by performing this art. It is profane as they are not allowed to perform in commonwealth games particularly in Delhi, Asiad and Olympics. (But Kalmadi is an exception). The people who perform this art who are called beggars whose strength lies just 420 numbers less than Christians and protestants calculated together.(Corporate and political beggars are not included in this list as ‘swindling’ is not a community art).

Though they are scattered as Jews and unceremoniously denied commonwealth games, through a marketers eyes they are the fine proponents of six sigma applications at its best, as 99.9666% of the product (Here its Sympathy) they manufacture and sell are free of defects. There is no one in this universe who didn’t buy their product at least one is the testimony to this fact.

Begging can be defined as an art of selling sympathy where transfer results in a penny or two. One thing stand out in this process is the intelligence at which the marketing mix is used. Let’s take one by one….

Product :

Sympathy is a very delicate product, the perishable one and if it is not market it properly there is not going to be any takers. Prime example is the case of Dr.Vijay Mallya. He and his kingfisher is in a situation which deserve sympathy but Mallya and his extravagant life couldn’t sell it properly. America during pentagon attack is another example of sympathy marketed poorly. This perishable thing (sympathy) has to be delivered in a form which is noticeable augmented with world’s best form of creativity.

Product Augmentation:

A man who deprived of a body part, a woman with an injured baby, malnourished boy all will create sympathy. But challenge is the sympathy created should end up in money transfer. This requires some amount of augmentation and this is done through

• ·         careful dressing,
• ·         well thought out dialogue delivery,
• ·         Facial expression
• ·         Intelligent display (Injury, Burn, Body part they want to show)

Price:

Pricing strategy is the simple one. It’s penetrative. They thrive on their mass reach. So the amount they charge is small but with the number of customers they approach coupled with less manufacturing cost they are bound to break even very easily.

Packaging:

This is one of the most crucial aspects of their marketing. Each time the package differs according to the situation. Imagine a guy who sing and beg inside a train hitting his belly. His shirt would be ripped in at least 3 parts . Sound emanating from his throat has to be cacophony.

A lady with a baby in her ambit wears a sari which is completely dirty. The baby is the crucial part of the display and should be malnourished and naked.

A guy standing on the road side hitting him with a whip has to be naked with an artificial mustache and a bandaged legs is another packaging display.

Place

One of the factors that determine the ROI is the selection of place. It is this selection which allows them mass penetration

• Temple/Church: They know that the people who come here have a contractual relationship with the God and it is here there is utmost chance of public magnanimity in display
• Traffic signal: One of the rare location they get their customers idle at least for some seconds (More time than a doctor give to M.R). Here they have ample opportunity to display what they offer.
• Railway ticket counter: This place ensures the maximum penetration to customers with huge potential (Those who has coins)
• Auto/taxi/Bus stand: Another intelligent selection that guarantee ROI.

 Communication:

The dexterity at which they draft communication in accordance with target audience is a wonderful learning for a marketer. In temple their communication draft reads “Bhagvan apke muradhe puri karegi”. They know devotees will pay heed to it.

The communication to a commuter walks through the road is completely different. Here they says “Do din se khana nahi khaya he sab”.

In railway stations where passengers are in a hurry, the communication is so crisp and in single words like “Ya..Allah, Amma, Etc..

In traffic signals they know that their customers are sitting inside a sound proof a/c car. Here they completely done away with the words and full-fledged verbal communication and facial expressions are on display.

Facing rejection:

Here the plan is long term. They face rejection more often than any other marketer in the world. But it is exemplary that they persist with the idea.

                                                For an industry (Pharma) where everyone lamenting about the lack of options of differentiation and solutions to every issues end up in a 4 page literature, these beggars are a case study to follow. When all our product ranges are promoted to the same set of customers they embarrass us with proper customer classification. For an industry where same set of promotional communication is designed for different specialties of doctors, the variety of promotional plans and communication strategy they use is something to learn.

MY WIFE HATES ME…......BUT NEVER LET GO OF ME

                                                  When my wife looks around, sees the whole husband class and do a comparative study based on efficacy (Rich enough to pay her manicure), safety (Caring enough to prepare abed coffee), and quality (less stylish to attract other women’s attention)……… what makes me stand out?, especially when all the other little bas***ds project themselves as holy Ganges that everyone had to take a dip in.

                                                 The situation is quite familiar for a pharmaceutical marketer as he sees all the brand his doctor confront says they are superior albeit they get it manufactured in a ‘cattle barn’ in the corner of a tax evading zone. Now the conventional wisdom says ‘If you want to survive – Differentiate. But what is the ultimate differentiating factor?

Is it quality?.......... But people buy Maruti Suzuki not for its quality. It is the geographical extension of its service outlets makes it a preferred brand. So is it service the ultimate differentiator? ………..But people prefer Intel processor to AMD not for its service but for its innovation and technology which Intel demonstrate by introducing 662 unique versions compared to 79 by AMD. So is it innovation which differentiate?......... But Hotmail is not mail service innovator nor is your Apple. I Pod, i Mac, I Phone have became the best sellers but were never the one which innovated the technology. But they had the better appearance, better style. At any point can we discount quality?....... It is the quality which makes Toyota, FedEx and its overnight delivery stand out.

Now the big question is what will you do when you got none of these elements to flaunt.

The answer is TBR. i.e Total Brand Recall. Your doctor will wake up on the bed sheet, sip a coffee from the cup, get ready and took his car key chain, open the car and sit in the car cushion, car perfume hang in front of him………. Everywhere he would see your brand name. Step in to the hospital he sees an awareness poster courtesy your brand, he is welcomed to his chamber by a table standee where your brand name is imprinted. Thus he eats & Pray with your brand. He’ll hate you but will certainly buy you.

Now you understand why my wife hates me but can’t let go of me.

(Courtesy Sandeep, Planman)

My Market…… A pessimistic view

Indian pharmaceutical market is like a mirror, it reciprocates the similar image the way you look to it. My shelf is replete with those articles which say the future of Indian healthcare is as bright as a helium lamp. One day I decided to look it through a pessimist lenses and I found the same market which was touted to grow leaps and bounds is foundering like Indian hockey. 

Statistics told me that 67% 0f the population (which amounts to 742 million) only contributes 17% to the market. A dried pipeline due to miniscule R & D investment coupled with improper distribution network make the market less accessible. Branded generics and Generic generics rule the market and no concerted efforts being made to improve the care management and treatment cost. Above all any Tom, Dick and Harry’s mother in low can come up with any combinations –rational & irrational only criteria which should meet is return of investment. Non pragmatic cost regulations which control the output without even poking at the inputs helping the investors finding their feet but in some other countries.

Hollywood and Indian pharma has a strange similarity. Both are in to a lot of remaking (the old ones).  Thus innovation here is limited to mere shuffling of combinations and older molecules which not replace any therapy but add to it. Compulsory licensing bogy we brandish no will keep the investors stay away.

The rule is very simple, if you want it to be the next big thing, please treat it like the next big thing and if you see no other way but to treat it like this, don’t foresee a brighter future.