जो दिखता है, वो बिकता है । Its’ a Half Truth…Even a Myth

Brand Awareness is an important part of the MarCom ( Marketing Communication ) process which leads to a purchase.   A Brand must come in the consideration set ( for purchase ) before a customer makes the Purchase. So to say, जो दिखता है, वो बिकता है ( Awareness makes things sell ) is a Half-Truth, even a myth. Read on to learn about the process….

All of us, who belong to Sales & Marketing community, have heard this saying many a times that जो दिखता है, वो बिकता है ।

Many of us use it also, too often. But how right or complete this statement is ?

Being a Marketer, I find it actually an incomplete statement, a half-truth. It only talks about awareness part of the entire MarCom ( Marketing Communication ) chain and misses on many other important factors like targeted buyer connecting to the brand and an intent-to-buy getting created, Brand getting into Consideration set ( for purchase ) and then actually purchase happening.

Sales ( बिकना ) is the complete process and Awareness (दिखना ) is only a part of the process. So, actually people say a part of the process is complete process when they make this statement. Sales does not happen only because one is aware of a Product / Service. There has to be an intent-to-buy, consideration-to-buy. After these 2 steps only, customer will go for the purchase.

With only visibility (दिखना ), we may end up with incomplete /improper/ wrong communication and there is every chance that we miss hitting the right TG ( target group ), sometimes insufficiently, even at the wrong time and are not considered for purchase !

So, it is important not only to advertise ( Awareness ) – but to properly communicate ! And without a proper, need-based, result-oriented communication Strategy, advertisement will only create awareness which may not affect your production lines and hence bottomlines, positively.

In my understanding, the correct ( and complete ) statement would be जो जैसा दिखता है,  वैसा ही बिकता है । Because out there, there are certain customers whose requirements are defined & clear AND, communicating accordingly will help. What does this mean in MarCom (Marketing Communication )Terms ?

Before getting on to analysing this, first we should know that Brands are like persons. Every brand has a personality, a brand imagery and a brand philosophy. This all, In totality, gives a brand a certain personality and thereby, every brand is seen in a certain light and perceived in a certain way.

I would make things simpler by citing a couple of examples here –

LuX and Dove both are bathing soaps. Both are used to cleanse our bodies. Both target ladies as their primary customers but both are bought by different sets of people. Dove sells more in urban markets and LuX sells more in semi-urban and rural markets. Both are highly visible (दिखता है ) and both sell well (बिकता है ).

However, both brands communicate differently (दिखना) and hence sell differently (बिकना) . Most importantly, at different price points and reaping different dividends to Brand Owners.

Now, just imagine LUX being highly visible in posh urban areas where its TG might not live in large numbers. Then all the resources spent on visibility will not give corresponding dividend.

Let us take one more example. Beauty soaps target ladies as their primary customers. This is the main reason that in their communication, beautiful ladies / cine stars are shown and ( usually ) not male stars. So, not only visibility but HOW becomes more important !

So you know that it is important to appear and communicate properly with your TG ( Target Audience Group ). That would mean that instead of mindless advertisement, go for well thought-after Communication Strategy. That may involve hiring an expert agency / consultant, to strengthen your strategic think-tank by getting an outsider and a fresh, unbiased member in your Marketing Strategy team.

Yes, it is important to appear ( communicate ) properly.

जो जैसा दिखता है,  वैसा ही बिकता है ।

Brands have to communicate right ( and always ) to hit the TG at the right time and generate intent-to-buy and build a ( brand’s ) personality matching to that of their TG. The Brand Manager must be able to know what value in the product ( not in commercial terms only )  the buyers are looking for in that particular brand and accordingly create that value in the brand. Like TATA is not a name. It is some VALUE to their customers. That value is TRUST. So, I don’t buy TATA, I pay for TRUST. Identifying and then creating the required VALUE would be guarantee to improved revenues !

Have you ever seen a beautiful lady advertising Steel Structures, TMT Bars or Cement brand ? Why only muscular men appear advertising them ! Ever thought of that ?  would only advertising (दिखना  ) serve the purpose ?

A brand that has to sell to HNIs ( High Networth Individuals ) would make a communication strategy suiting to HNI, matching their lifestyles. Accordingly, it would advertise in media that these targeted HNIs are usually exposed to. It would assure of better chances of ( communication of ) these brands reaching their TG properly.

Contrary to this, if mindless communication ( without a proper strategy ) is done and advtt is released here, there, everywhere ( thinking जो दिखता है ) , it will only end-up wasting its resources ( read money and opportunity both ) and may end-up hitting wrong pockets, even diluting the brand-value and ending up with not much improvement in sales / revenue. This should not surprise you because only advertising in a melee of so many advertisers will actually make you a me-too brand with no meaningful VALUE to customers.  So, you need good communication strategy !

For example, consider a luxury car brand like Mercedes advertising everywhere starting from your cable TV to Puja pandals in your Para / Mohalla. A luxury brand like Merc may risk losing its premium factor and thereby becoming one of the lower rated brands among all Luxury car brands. तो सही दिखना जरूरी है ।

I’m sure you enjoyed this read and now also agree that जो जैसा दिखता है,  वैसा ही बिकता है ।

So, next time when you plan for advertising your brand, first focus on proper Communication Strategy. Creative, A/W and everything else will become more meaningful and result-oriented.

Happy Marketing !