Don't forget the selling: FAME 2013

The FAME 2013 panel included Kawal Shoor, head of planning with Ogilvy Mumbai, Lucy McCabe, vice-president of consulting services for Ogilvy Asia-Pacific and Paolo Mercado, Nestle's head of marketing communications for Greater China.

Mercado shared that because his father ran an ad agency in the Philippines, he started learning the advertising business early—even appearing in front of the camera as a 9-year-old in an ad for Chiclets chewing gum. He joked that although it was a "painful childhood memory", he did learn a lot about advertising. He offered three simple tips:

1. Don't forget the brand: Mention the brand name in the ad campaign multiple times.
2. Don't forget the selling: In his Chiclet TVC, Mercado dressed as a street vendor, but in a yellow t-shirt (matching the colour of the gum) to stand out.
3. Don't forget the hook: Mercado said today's ads have lost that art, especially the art of the jingle, with the exception of radio ads. "Iif we have a sharp music hook in our ads, it gets remembered much more."

Mercado believes that agencies should be remunerated when they create demand, and said that big ideas are more important than big executions. He citeda famous Cadbury ad featuring a gorilla, which he said won awards but failed to build any long-term equity. In contrast, classics such as MasterCard's 'Priceless' platform and Marlboro's 'Marlboro Man' helped the brands build loyalty for many years.

He also pointed out the importance of brand fame, quoting the classic examples of KitKat's well-known UK ad slogan "Have a break, have a KitKat", and shared what Nescafe is doing in China. Connecting with the brand's 75th anniversary, Nescafe is using an online micromovie campaign, which launched on 26 April, in which a popular blogger is travelling to follow Nestle's 'coffee culture' in Brazil and Europe.

Shoor said that most clients don't want 360-degree marketing, they want 10-degree marketing that could help them to excel in their business. For illustration, he discussed ways in which Sunny Leone (an Indian porn star), Cadbury and Tata Sky successfully boosted their market shares.

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McCabe, who started her career in direct marketing, pointed out that tricks developed for "junk mailing" are relevant in the age of search. With the growing importance of search and e-commerce, "magic buttons" like "free", "buy one get one free" and "pay nothing for six months" can be very effective.

As an example, she pointed to Australian clothing retailer Myer's use of 'magic' buttons and social media on its ecommerce site.

To close sales, McCabe said that "big ideas are important, but sweat the small stuff, making it easier for the customer to buy," with policies like free shipping and free returns. She also cited a coffee brand that offers a monthly "replenishment program".