Exclusive | Tete-a Tete with DMAi's Vatsal Asher on new age marketing

The most awaited marketing event of the year DMAi 2012 is just a few days away. DMAi aims to catalyse the change for global marketing in the way marketing-dependent businesses ideate, innovate, interact and envision the future. The core of its endeavor is tighter market integration strategies that quickly and efficiently allow marketers to adjust and engage with customers. DMAi 2012 will bring together the finest thought-leaders, businesses, brands and agencies across diverse industry verticals on a marketing-oriented platform.
 
Adgully caught up with Vatsal Asher CEO, DMAi as he shares valuable insights about crucial aspects of marketing.  
 
Adgully (AG): How has the marketing scenario in India evolved over the years?
 
Vatsal Asher (VA): Marketing in India has undergone rapid changes and transformation! Attribute it to globalization, international competition and the technological change. It’s made the Indian market cutthroat. Those companies that can deliver what the people want and can delight the Indian customers are the market leaders. Today the companies are operating in such a marketplace where survival of the fittest is the law.
 
The Indian market is no longer a seller’s market. The winner is the one who provides value for money. The Indian Marketing Scenario is one of the biggest consumer markets and that is precisely the reason why India has attracted several MNC’s. In the Indian Marketing Scenario, it is the MADE FOR INDIA marketing strategies that work.
 
Direct marketing has gained immense popularity in past few years with emphasis not just being laid on measuring the returns on marketing spends but also campaigns being created to initiate a dialogue with the customer. With advent of new media and innovative usage of technology to engage with customers, spends on direct marketing have also increased significantly.
 
AG: What are the current trends that you see in the same direction?
 
VA: While it’s important to stay focused, it’s equally as important to be prepared for the opportunities and challenges that will come from the latest marketing trends. Businesses have now started to recognize the value of connecting up their marketing approach across the web, social media and other channels. Mobile is going centre stage. People have started using their device to buy products online.
 
There is no gap between the business brand and social brand. With consumer behavior changing each day, company laws getting more and more stringent, Indian companies are getting more aligned with international marketing best practices. As people become more and more accustomed to selecting which brands and businesses can join them within their own online community, the value of personalized marketing approaches and content will continue to grow.
 
AG: How has the approach to traditional marketing changed?
 
VA: Humans have come a long way since the first time they started trading among themselves. Marketing has developed too. “Traditional” marketing and especially print advertising in newspapers and magazines has certainly taken a backseat or has vanished completely from the marketing plans of today’s businessmen. Social media works well and is here to stay. But at the same time, traditional marketing methods can enhance your social media and online presence by directing people to website, Facebook page, YouTube videos, or other social media platforms. It can help you build your brand and name recognition, use online presence to enhance it to provide more information about your services. The need of the hour is multi channel & integrated marketing.
 
AG: Share some insight into modern marketing practices
 
VA: Modern marketing is very different now from what it was 20 years or 10 years even 5 years ago. The modern marketing mix nowadays is multi-faceted. Modern marketing is the integration of multi channel which includes traditional to digital. It is the strategic marketing which drives Outbound and Inbound marketing. Content is king and marketing is getting responsive, measurable & most of all more cost efficient than ever before.
 
Modern marketing practices should be based on creating a unique differentiated brand which would be based on the customer & competitor insights. Integration of direct marketing strategies is the key & need of the hour. Lead generation & content should be prioritised in all the marketing plans. Blogging & social media strategies should be deployed with mothership website integration. Website search engine optimization (SEO) has changed a lot in recent years, so one must get it. Explore multi channel advertising if one can afford as nothing is faster & more controllable than paid advertising; however tools should be deployed to measure the effectiveness. Implement PR and media relations to leverage the free publicity & integrate PR with social media for maximum results. Last but not the least; hire marketing staff & agencies with modern marketing kills.
 
AG: What about the importance of social and digital media in the marketing strategies?
 
VA: There is a clear shift in the marketing strategy with  large number of companies boosting their digital marketing spending this year especially with social media and mobile particularly benefiting from this trend. Big brands are leading the way with leading FMCG companies shifting their traditional advertising on television to digital and mobile advertising. Digital and social media marketing is cost-effective, interactive, measurable and has maximum reach, since customers are getting techno savvy and  spend a lot of time online.
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