Time and time again, we have seen the world thrive on big ideas. Be it in the political realm or in the corporate world, big ideas have changed the way we perceive things. Lately, we have noticed that big ideas are shrinking and people no longer accept big ideas as a norm. Consumers are challenging the brands to engage in more meaningful conversations and not just on “Intellectual Advertising”. We’ll come to that part later, but today’s article will predominantly talk about the rise and fall of a big idea in the corporate world.
Welcome to the Hyper-local Era
Today, brands no longer follow the one-size-fits-all motto. Thinking of one big idea no longer serves the national purpose. The brands have to funnel down the communication strategy to address the commonest person in the audience base. Consumers are demanding value more than variety.
The most recent BournVita Campaign targeting the parents for forcing the kids to choose a career they do not like has stirred some controversies in the ad world. The campaign, #FaithNotForce took the conventional BournVita jar and turned it into toilet cleaner, tissue box, soap box, egg carton, and ketchup bottle and drew a parallel between how the jar became something it didn’t want to become, just like the kids are forced by the parents in terms of their career. This “Big idea” didn’t fly well with the current parents as they argued that this idea would have worked a decade ago when the parents were still orthodox and the career options weren’t that extensive. Today, parents are broad-minded and accept the choice of their kids’ careers and even their sexual orientation. Coming to buying the “Forced Packs” of BournVita, consumers were of the opinion that the brand lost its purpose here. A product that’s meant for mass consumption will be used solely for its utilitarian purpose. Take that away and the ‘soul’ purpose (pun intended) is lost.
Death of Big Ideas
Gone are the days when “Jaago Re”, “Daag Acche Hain” and “Fevicol ka jod” campaigns were widely extended across all platforms for years and still made sense. Today, consumers do not really care about the brand. What does the product has to offer, does it relate to, is the product offering practical, and what value does it hold? All these questions need to be addressed and a mere big idea cannot really do the job. Performance marketing is something that has emerged to answer these questions.
These are two different generations – one that made ‘big ideas’ go global and win metals in the international ad fests. Another generation, that’s winning big too, but taking a stand by breaking the big idea down into smaller value-driven communications that reach the right set of customers and fulfill the purpose. It’s not that the magic of a big idea has faded away. The magic is dispersed across various channels and still works wonders. Take Zomato for instance – it doesn’t have any big idea on the plate, yet has become a name synonymous with food delivery across the nation. Good, bad and ugly reviews are part of the game, but they have sparked conversations and that’s the need of the hour.
At 3 Dots Design Pvt. Ltd., we are of the opinion that ideas are the key to connecting brands with their customers. It doesn’t matter if the idea is big or small, if it has the potential, a “Sutli Bomb” can be as powerful as a “Grenade” and that’s what we believe. With a team of experienced content writers, graphic designers, creative artists, strategists, brand managers and digital executives, we love to spread the magic of advertising by crafting continuous creative communications. If you wish to see more of what we do, please visit www.3dotsdesign.in or get in touch with us at [email protected]