International Immersion

Before I started my Masters in Art in Advertising program, I took three course prerequisites for admission into the program. In addition to Introduction to Advertising and Media Planning, I took an Advertising Research course with Christopher Owens from The Richards Group. Initially, the course was full so I was resigned to the fact that I would take the course during first semester of grad school. However, after a week of waiting, I was enrolled in the course and the next day I arrived to our 7 p.m. class bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

My first day of class with Christopher was confusing. Here I thought that this course was going to be another dull and dry course based on library research and surveys. Instead, Christopher was talking about “ethnography” and “qualitative research”. He he showed us mini-biographies on audiophiles and video recordings of focus groups. Each class meeting he would expound upon the importance of account planning in the advertising industry and his passion was infectious.

Our final project consisted of a ten page paper and a presentation of a qualitative research project that sought to figure out why particular people liked something you despised. I chose horror film enthusiasts and I had a great time working on the project. I walked away from Christopher’s class with a new-found understanding and appreciation of account planning and research. I thought I had a strong grasp on ethnographic studies and consumer research. And then I went to India.

According to Hy Mariampolski’s Ethnography for Marketers: A Guide to Consumer Immersion, there are Ten Commandments for Great Ethnography. These include:

1. Be an observer first.
2. Respect the site protocol.
3. Be objective.
4. Love your respondents unconditionally.
5. Follow the stages of a site visit.
6. Everything counts as data.
7. Ask questions fairly.
8. Probe positively.
9. Don’t change what you’re watching.
10. Take good notes.

While I read Mariampolski’s book throughout my travels in India, I realized that the work that Christopher and other account planners do isn’t just a job – it is an art form. As I tried to follow Mariampolski’s Ten Commandments, I realized it is really difficult to navigate a cultural immersion project without breaking these rules on a daily – if not hourly – basis. I had to give myself a little bit of grace seeing as this was my first time traveling internationally. However, it was hard not to feel like a failure time and time again because what seemed so easy proved to be a rigorous mental and emotional experiment.

Within my graduate admission prerequisite work and my first year of the MA in Advertising program, I have developed an academic respect for account planning. However, after my two-week trip to India, I’ve grown to truly appreciate the remarkable work account planners do to be advocates for consumers worldwide.

 

Cultural Observations: Sustainablity

In his book, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP): Eradicating Poverty through Profits, C.K. Prahalad contends that the bottom of the economic pyramid can be a viable growth market. Prahalad further states, “Involvement in BOP markets will challenge assumptions that mangers in multi-national corporations have developed over a long period of time. A new philosophy of product development and innovation that reflects the realities of BOP markets will be needed”.

Prahland identifies twelve principles in his book that constitute the building blocks of innovation in BOP markets. In his fourth principle, Prahalad contents that solutions for BOP markets cannot be based on the same patterns of resource use utilized in developing countries. Instead, Prahalad suggests that solutions for BOP markets must be sustainable and eco-friendly.

The power behind this proposition is overwhelming but achievable. Throughout Prahalad’s book the case is made that MNCs cannot enter BOP markets with a business-as-usual approach. And while some MNCs might find the idea of developing new products and services for a BOP consumer feasible, an added requirement of sustainability could deter some MNCs from pursuing business further.

The reality is, however, that the Indian culture inherently values efforts and products that are sustainable and eco-friendly. Throughout my travels in India, I observed the Indian people being resourceful at every turn. In Delhi, I would see families rummaging through trash for recyclables or other items for which they could find an efficient use. Farmers in rural areas save methane-rich cow patties to use as a renewable source of fuel. Getting the most value out of every available resource is truly characteristic of the Indian way.

Instead of being stymied by the proposition of incorporating sustainability into expansion plans, perhaps MNCs should simply look to the innovative nature of the Indian people to see how sustainability can be brand-value maximizer in developing markets.

 

A Spot of Tea

After a fantastic breakfast at The Pride Hotel, our group hopped on our trusty tourist bus to the corporate offices of Wagh Bakri. Wagh Bakri, also known as the Gujarat Tea Processors & Packers, is one of the largest tea producers and sellers of tea in India today. Holding strongly to its family-owned heritage, Wagh Bakri provides authentic tea blends to consumers around the world.

Seeing as we spent the last several days donning our “sweat clothes”, I could tell the group was excited to put on our corporate best and spend some quality time in an air-conditioned building. However, I think that we were even more excited to get unprecedented access to a remarkably successful Indian company.

As I listened to the executives from Wagh Bakri present information about their company, I couldn’t help but think about what Rama Bijapurki’s outlined in his book We Are Like That Only. According to Bijapurki, as the income levels and self-perception of Indians continues to increase, it is becoming readily apparent that there seems to be a shift away from “one day, my children and their children will have a better life” to “soon I myself will begin to live differently”. Ultimately, Bijapurki insists that the mindset in India is transforming from dreaming about a better future to planning a better future.

This shifting mindset seems to be whole-heartedly embraced by Wagh Bakri as they look to expand their reach globally. While some time was spent discussing where Wagh Bakri has been, a majority of the time was spent discussing where Wagh Barki was going in the near future. While Wagh Bakri was not the market leader in India, their ambitious five-year expansion plan to be a key player in the tea industry in the US marketplace is emblematic of Bijapurki’s future planning versus dreaming paradigm.

 

Autorickshaws

In addition to cars, public transit and motorcycles, the streets of India are packed with autorickshaws. In Mother Pious Lady: Making Sense of Everyday India, the book’s author, Santosh Desai, describes the autorickshaw as a vehicle that captures the nature of the Indian way of life in that the people are not too poor to not have choices and not so affluent that it takes life for granted.

These autorickshaws are a modern alternative to the traditional bicycle rickshaws that we’ve all seen cruising down the streets of any downtown area in the States.

In Ahmedabad, we had the opportunity to take an autorickshaw from the Jama Masjid mosque back to our tour coach. As you can see from the video, my experience on an autorickshaw was just that … an experience. It was almost as if the autorickshaw was just another pedestrian weaving through crowded walkways barely missing the toes of passers-by. The only thing that set us apart from those who traveled by foot was speed. Our MPK fluctuated drastically depending how daring the autorickshaw driver felt when he encountered a narrow opening between foot traffic, another autorickshaw or a larger car. While some of our group members tightly gripped the back of the driver’s seat, I found the experience to be exhilarating.

Autorickshaws remain a relevant and important resource to the consumer class in India. From the businessman to a housewife running her errands, the autorickshaw is weaved into the fabric of the Indian way by giving everyone the opportunity to actively participate in a burgeoning economy. Though the autorickshaw is discrete in nature compared to the other vehicles that share the Indian roadways, they are quintessentially Indian. Affordable. Accessible. Hectic. Colorful. Dutiful. The autorickshaw is a microcosm of a country on the precipice of greatness.

 

ROY G BIV Wouldn’t Be the Same without IndiGo

“Leaving on a jet plane. Don’t know when I’ll be back again”. Wait. Scratch that. We’ll be back to Delhi in a couple of weeks – so much for innovative blog introductions.

Though I’m reluctant to leave, I’m extremely excited get to Ahmedabad because we fly IndiGo Air today! After our visit to Wieden + Kennedy in Delhi, I couldn’t wait to board an IndiGo plane. Unlike the other carriers in India, the work that W+K produced for IndiGo transformed the low-cost carrier airline into a brand. From the unique sandwich packaging to fun, innovative in-flight merchandise emblazoned with the IndiGo brand, W+K thought of everything to make sure that the IndiGo customer received a chic flying experience with the bonus of an economical airfare.

As I boarded the plane, I felt right at home. While the plane accommodations were outstanding, I couldn’t help but notice the people around me. The flight included businessmen, groups of fashionable young women and families with children. This flight could be easily mistaken for any Southwest flight I would take back home.

Amitabh Kant indicates in his book, Branding India, that Indian low-cost carriers continue to experience a growing market share because India’s large population base, its poor rail and road infrastructure and a highly price-sensitive market. The reality in India is that flying is realistically accessible because the accessibility of low-cost carriers to a growing consumer class.

What impresses me about Kant’s statement is that the reasons for increased air travel in India are strikingly similar to the reasons why we fly in America. I cannot help but go back to my experience on the rickshaw in Old Delhi – the experiences and lifestyles that Indians and Americans are looking for are remarkably similar. And while some might say that Indians are quickly moving toward the American consumer sentiment, I cannot help but think that it might be the other way around. Sure, a growing consumer class characterizes India but an increasingly price sensitive America looks more like us embracing the Indian way.

 

I Heart Jaipur

Sadly, tomorrow marks our time to move along on our journey to Ahmedabad. Our time in Jaipur has been way too short. Our hotel was phenomenal. This is the most relaxed and rested I’ve been since we arrived in India. Perhaps the comfortable beds and crystal-clear pool had something to do with it but I’m convinced that it is the things that we got to see in Jaipur that made me fall in love with this place. And, as we all know, everything is better when you’re in love.

Today, we had a full schedule with a cultural city tour of the Amber Fort and the City Palace. A sensational elephant ride up to the Amber Fort fulfilled my dream of riding of an elephant.  I wish we could have spent more time with the elephants. They are stoic beasts. As we wound our way up to the fort, I got the sense that Jaipur could rival any small town in Italy. The beautiful amber color of the city and the lush green environment was refreshing and welcome.  If the scenery of Jaipur didn’t give you a European vibe, a visit to the City Palace would make anyone feel like they are standing in the palazzo of a palatial Italian estate.

After the Amber Fort and City Palace, we visited a textile company that produces hand-blocked fabrics and hand-woven rugs. The men that work these shops are master salesmen and no one could help but walk away with something to take home with them. However, a late night call to Jed back home trying to convince him we needed a rug for our living room proved fruitless.

After an eye-popping visit to the Jaipur jewelry factory and an educational visit to the Jaipur Observatory, my opinion of Jaipur as a Renaissance city was solidified. Of the cities that we’ve visited so far, Jaipur has been my favorite. I cannot wait to bring Jed with me next time we visit India – hopefully with rug in tow.

                     

 

Cell Phones

Currently, I am riding on a briskly cool coach bus on our way from Agra to our next destination, Jaipur. With a large portion of my family living in New Mexico, I’ve grown to love road trips so I’m incredibly excited about this journey.  The cities are jammed packed and the rural areas are lush and green. This is a remarkable road trip and one that I will never forget.

Our exceptional guide, Madan, is so full of knowledge that I feel like we are getting an unprecedented audio tour of rural India in between cities and towns. The small shops and restaurants in between towns and cities are remarkably similar to what one would see on any road trip in America. However, what is amazing is the profusion of wireless storefronts that I see in the most remote areas. Small roadside stops are branded with notable wireless communication companies including Vodaphone, Nokia, Samsung, Sony and LG.

In his presentation on our first full-day in India, Professor Atul Tandan shared that there are 826 million cellphone users in India. According to The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, the spread of wireless devices among the poor is proof of a market rife with opportunity at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). According to C.K. Prahalad, the technology of wireless connectivity is allowing for the bottom of the pyramid to engage in a dialogue with each other and brands.  Additionally, wireless connectivity allows BOP consumers to establish new patterns of communication away from their villages.  As a result, BOP consumers are quickly finding avenues of communication to let brands know of the products and services BOP consumers demand to fulfill their wants and needs.

Armed with this information, I cannot help but disagree with those who argue that technology is driving us apart. In fact, India is a prime example of how technology is a powerful tool that could potentially eradicate poverty and move more people into the consumer class. In my time here in India, I’ve seen poverty like I’ve never seen before. However, the power the poor possess to make a substantial impact on India’s developing economy is unprecedented.