Today, more than ever before, the largeness of the brand’s idea and role have become critical. At the heart of these are large insights, that go way beyond your category, yet are category relevant. If you limit your insight hunt within the confines of category, you risk unearthing insights and ideas that are too small...

What if this ‘mistake’ by #Dove was actually a carefully planned controversy? An idea that stoked conversations. Yes it showed Dove in poor light, but in doing so it underlined the idea of the brand even more (‘we didn’t expect this from Dove of all the brands’). A bit like #Domino’s slipping up deliberately and...

25 years ago, as I started my advertising career, #Ariel washing powder had just been launched in India, with the proposition of ‘no need to scrub’. The ad by #LeoBurnett was a conversation between a mother-in-law,  daughter-in-law duo, where the latter tells the much experienced mother-in-law, that thanks to Ariel, the rules of washing had...

Street Foods at the Delhi airport has now added a few female waitresses to their team. Made me wonder – why do women dominate the Air-hostess role while men dominate the waiter role in restaurants? Any thoughts?

In designing your qualitative research be mindful of this challenge. It doesn’t mean research is pointless or misleading, only that you need to be smart in your design and decoding of it. Image courtesy Marketoonist.

It is clear Kohli and Kumble have differences of opinion. What is also clear is that this Indian team has shaped up into a fine unit in Test matches at home and one dayers anywhere in the world. Under Kumble’s coaching and Kohli’s captaincy. What is interesting is this – without sufficient understanding of what...

Kapil Sharma has been in the news for high handed behaviour towards his colleagues. Going by early reactions of fans, it’s something he should worry about and address publicly and promptly. Not just with his colleagues, but also for his fans. An important part of his brand is his rise from small town story. His...

  A large number of Indian housewives experience a sharp contrast – between images of women empowerment in media vs their real life, which seems devoid of it. Leaving them frustrated, hopeless, anguished. Two brands address this pain in fairly contrasted manner. Lux helps her escape this reality through its indulgent world, creating a moment...

Large brand ideas go beyond mere propositions. Instead, they represent ideologies that go against a prevailing ‘enemy’. Apple’s stark opposition to collective conformism gives it a potent individualistic halo (hence the i-phone, i-mac, etc.). What is your brand’s big idea?

To discover your brand’s enemy…look at your consumer insights. If it doesn’t answer the question, your insights need rework!