Marketing Marvels

Experiential marketing to the fore

Lumbini EDIRISINGHE

As a unique approach to the task of marketing goods and services, experiential marketing is a concept that integrates elements of emotions, logic, and general thought processes to connect with the consumer, Reckitt Benckiser's Manager (Surfacecare category) Shenali Wicramaarachchi said.

She said the goal of experiential marketing is to establish the connection in such a way that the consumer responds to a product offering based on both emotional and rational response levels.

Here are a few of the basics of experiential marketing, and how this process can often succeed when other marketing strategies fail.

She said appealing to a variety of senses, experiential marketing seeks to tap into that special place within consumers that has to do with inspiring thoughts about comfort and pleasure, as well as inspiring a sense of practicality. This means that the marketer needs to have a firm grasp on the mindset of the target audience he or she wishes to attract.

By understanding what the consumer is likely to think and feel, it is possible to get an idea of how to steer the customer in a direction that will relate with the product, and entice individuals to act on that impulse to purchase, she said.

Q:What are the mar keting challenges in the FMCG/detergent market?

There are two main challenges in marketing. First one is on marketing research. It takes a lot of time to gather data on marketing research. For example, now it's December.

But we get October data only now on market research reports. There's a time lapse of one month to get the required information from the research. The decision regarding a brand or a product we believe gets delayed due to that.

Therefore, there's a time lapse of one month. That is one issue that marketing people face. If the last months information is known it's a plus point at the beginning of this month. Second one is all below the line activities. We have various ways like posters, billboards which we do for a product or brand. Now evaluation of boards become very difficult. If we put the advertisement on TV you can evaluate it.

But when we spend a lot of money on billboards and posters, we all know we get exposure and the number of people can see it. But tracking is not there. There's no way to evaluate. Because we are sure of spending a huge amount of money on advertising.

Q: What is the availability of marketing knowledge for decision- making in the FMCG sector?

In reality we have findings. They are quite accurate. We are happy about AC Nielson findings. So there is a way of tracking consumers.

We take quantitative information to get into AC Nielson. We also can take consumer panels. I think that we have enough tools and information to move into decision-making.

Q:How important is it for marketers to get into the boardroom in an organisation?

I think we have got a number of marketers in the boardroom. One good example is Amal Cabraal, the Chairman of Unilever is a marketer by professional.

It is not only the knowledge of marketing. We need to understand financial management, human resources and other aspects too .So that when you go to the boardroom this helps your approaches.

Q:Investing in branding is today's trend. Do you think it is better than investing in category marketing?

Category marketing gives portfolio to the product. What I think is branding is essential than category marketing. In current economical scenario people are very conscious about on what they pay and they really conscious. They will definitely cut down on the luxury goods. They depend on the basic essentials.

Q:What is your advice to budding marketers?

Get yourself qualified and be armed with a MBA so that you will get an overall business perspective. Thereafter learn to work on the field and get exposure to financial management so that consumer decision making happens with a financial perspective.

Q:Why do you think people voted the brand you manage as the most popular household brand at the ' People's Award' 2008?

Marketing is all about different specialised people like sales, quality assurance, advertising agency and production working together so that a consumer requirement is satisfied. If a consumer is satisfied they will come again to buy your brand that will result is such awards like when Harpic was voted in as the most popular household brand in Sri Lanka. So the key reason for this award to my mind is the exceptional teamwork in the company that I work for -Reckitt Benckiser.

Q:Will the economic downturn affect your brand and key actions you are taking?

Yes. If the disposable income of a consumer drops the purchasing of a brand becomes inconsistent. Some of the strategies one can adopt is to focus on the core group of customers who are bringing 80% of the business and invest time on building brand equity in a customer's mind with innovative business initiatives. One must also ruthlessly cut costs through squeeze programmes. It's also best to have a lean shaped organisational structure that can absorb the shocks at times of economic turmoil.

Q:Is there a talent drain or poor talent for the marketing profession?

That is not true. There is enough talent but the challenge is for one to have the correct attitude to survive in today's marketing environment. This requires mental toughness and the ability of working in teams.