Marketing the brand, to you.

The  previous post on "Marketing the Brand - You" dwelled on the art of persuasion. The exploits of which, are aplenty, in the field of advertising and politics. A natural progression would be to identify these tactics at play and set your grey cells ticking, recalling brands and campaigns. Interestingly, as you begin to recall campaigns, it may strike you, that a majority of marketing campaigns lead with a primary tactic, but have an interplay of the others woven-in seamlessly into, stories of persuasion, they tell.

• Associations: forge a connect, arouse an emotion. Example Coke-Open Happiness. Nike- victory. The arsenal is well equipped with:
• Beautiful People: Before and after, a la fitness / fairness cream ad- the I could be like that feeling. A word of caution this can translate into an Oh I am so ugly moment too. Which is why read beauty magazine's sparingly- they only make you feel ugly- Baz Luhrman
• Transfer to a warm and fuzzy place : the aww moment, use of children, puppies, friendship, elderly, vacations and good times (Kingfisher)
• Symbolism: Broom :: cleaning corruption for Aam Admi Party, Cars to sexy women being wooed.
• Nostalgia: simplicity which = higher quality; evoke memories of childhood, India's partition- Google-Reunion Ad. Think Pilsbury Chakki fresh atta.
• Status- Snob value: discerning people drink Bailey's. Usually associated with Luxury marketing.
• Patriotism: Buy American, Dress Indian, Drive German. Example: nationalized banks, Incredible India
• Brand name: Umbrella branding- P&G, Unilever, HUL. Endorsed brands- Polo by Ralph Lauren.
• Bandwagon: Join us: everyone is doing it! Don’t get left out. Example Blackberry boys and every social networking platform-Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram.
• Bribery: promise to give something: discount, specials, gifts, packages. 70% discount***, Mahindra club holidays, Saloons and Spas.
• Testimonials and Advocacy:
• Celebrities: Dime a dozen.
• Experts: Doctors for Skin, Health and Dental care or Mothers for baby care.
• Plain Folks: build authenticity. This one has become very popular. Example: Dove
• Customers: A great B2B card.  Example Accenture. The election campaign has several happy supporters show their vote of confidence through PDA and canvas.
• Scientific Evidence: Engines, Water Purifiers, well sometime it just sounds a lot of jargon and pseudo-intellectual.
• Explicit Claims: Come clean, through credibility and setting expectations. Transparency on product specification, what to expect, price, delivery, manufacturing, ingredients. Quantifiable metrics, effectiveness, reliability, guarantees. Example: E-commerce portals
• Fear: of rejection, non-conformity,  of not being able to achieve, of being differentiated. Example fairness creams will get you that job, marriage, do your parents proud and more; Is bad breath or body odor keeping you away from getting a date? Have you secured your family's future? Get that insurance cover.  
• Humor: Likeability and recollection. This one is especially, tricky. You could boost or go bust. Example A "cheeky" one by Aston Martin, how about one closer home  Center Fresh- Yeh wala.
• Intensity: Load your ad with intensifiers- Superlatives (Best, greatest, fastest, latest), Comparatives (Fewer calories, better, improved, more), Hyperbole (incredible, amazing). Copy writers at work.
• Maybe: Now that intensity has led to tall claims, they must be neutralized with a * Terms and Conditions apply. Even if it means a 20 secs radio spot - mutual funds are subject to market risk. Put the onus on the consumer. Often used qualifiers are may, might, could, often, virtually, up to. Think Insurance, Discounts.
• Personalization: Use of second person. The message is addressed to "you". Because "you" are worth it!- L'Oreal
• Neologisms: Flashes of brilliance by copywriters to coin terms to describe and convince: Chewy, longer-lasting, smoother-handling, mirror finish, meaty, nutty, crackly.
• Repetition: frequency of showing the ads, jingles. They will not relent! Airtel-Har Ek friend, "rings a bell"?
• The Big lie: is easier to pull off than a small lie. Be confident. Tell it with aplomb. Make a claim. Own the space.
• Charisma: Leadership position, strong, bold, confident. Brand image play a pivotal role here.
• Euphemism: garnish the ugly truth. Soften the expression. Layoff = Downsizing, Torture = intensive interrogation techniques. Remember the pre-owned cars by Aston Martin?
• Extrapolation: Small facts leading to huge conclusions. Ignores complexity. Over- simplification. Insurance seems to be a favorite.
• Flattery- cause you are worth it! "You deserve it," The consumer is the smarty pants- can judge a good deal from bad: You, with that taste; oh the niche hobby, the talent, eye for spotting a deal. People who know their cars choose Thuderbolt.
• Glittering Generalities: generous garnishing of "virtue words" which give no details New improved, Safe, Caring, qualified,  Patriotism, democracy, civilization, financial freedom, beauty, love, science, health. Where these concepts can be evoked without evidence or delving into their meaning- All time fav- "NEW" where new = better/innovation, latest = best. Mobile, Gadgets, Automobiles
• Name calling- building negative associations and sentiments. Typical of at your throat technique. Pepsi vs Coke. McDonald vs Burger King.
• Rhetorical Questions: Ask questions audience will agree with you on. Builds buy in. Audience can relate. Example: Do you want to get rid of a headache? Do you want to secure your child's future?
• Simple Solution to a complex problem: Axe deodorant can make women swoon over you. Fair and Lovely can bag you a job, beauty and appreciation
• Slippery Slope: An action (small) will cause an unwanted reaction (magnified). Example: Direct TV
• Ad hominem: Latin for "against the man". Shoot the messenger tactic. If there messenger is objectionable, the message must be wrong too. Example: when brand ambassador receives negative publicity.  Tiger Woods affair cost corporate sponsors $12Bn in lost stock value. Companies such as Gatorade, Nike and Electronic Arts stock prices fell 2.3%, costing shareholders $12 billion or how about this  Dish Network ad.
• Card stacking. The half- truth No one can tell the whole story; we all tell part of the story. Here we "stack the deck," selecting only favorable evidence to lead the audience to the desired conclusion. Example: high calories & sugar laden products boasting of low fat. 
• Causes vs Correlation: Misleading and confusing portrayal of cause and effect. It is like saying  Facebook active users are driving Greek crisis
• Analogy: Drawing parallels. Mac on Intel , Clear and internet access company.
• Denial: Think when a brand smartly uses negative occurrence in a compete situation to "not bring it up" in press. Celebrities: We are just friends!, No comment! They are actually tricking you into persuading them to ask for more.
• Diversion or Red herring: to divert attention to a lesser problem where convincing will be easier
• Majority Believes: Use of surveys and polls. Example: 4 out of 5 dentists recommend ABC.
• Scapegoating: Get the monkey off your back. Offshoring to India is the reason for high rate of unemployment in USA.
• False Dichotomy: You have only 2 options, nothing in between: either filthy, disgusting cloth towel OR you can use “Kleenex Hand Towels – a clean, fresh towel every time!”
• Straw Man: Come clean by building an illogical or deliberately damaged idea of an opponent , knock it off and presenting your own as easier. Less tedious to get a loan, fewer calories.
• Timing: Contextual and relevant: Cricket, Budget, Diwali, Valentine's Day, Elections

Armed to disarm? Now don’t skip those ads. Makes for a fun game. Alright, tad bit geeky, but fun, nonetheless.