ABCD: The game of basics where the SUCCESS wins

Do you remember back in school days where writing ABCD right used to be the biggest achievement? That pats on back, that star on hand, that very good by your favourite teacher, that proud smile on your mothers face when you get it right. Well, not much has been changed, as even now when you enter into the professional world, again you have to start with the same four letters. In school times it used be A for Apple, B for Ball, C for Cat and D for Dog, but now it has changed drastically, as now A stands for Advertising, B for Branding, C for Communication and D for Design. The same four letters with the different meanings, but even today getting them right brings you nothing less than SUCCESS.

ABCD to climb up the ladder:

From the very first stage of schooling till now the definition of ABCD is changing. Following are the different steps of ABCD and their significance in different stages of life:

·    ABCD in School: Schooling is the very first step of a child’s life journey. For him A is for Apple, B is for Ball, C is for Cat & D is for Dog. He learns the first ABCDs of his life under the guidance of his teachers and family. With the right guidance he gets them right and steps up to the next level.

·    ABCD in College: After completing the long schooling days, with the right start, the child takes the first step to his college life. Where he explores the new meaning of ABCD with the influence of his friends, A for Aggression, B for Bunking, C for Canteen, D for Dating.

·     ABCD in Career: Then comes the most awaited stage of career building when the child is no more a child, but an individual with the dreams in his eyes, where A for Attitude, B for Behaviour, C for Calibre, & D for Degree forms the future.

·     ABCD in Business: In this very vital stage Advertising, Branding, Communication, Design unfolds the true meaning of success. The success formula for professional world is nothing but 4 simple steps, ABCD.

ABCD with Thin-i

We don’t promise success, ABCD does!

At Thin-i we don’t work on assumptions, but on factual calculations, as our full proof success formula of ABCD have done wonders in the past for our clients. Following are the few strategies we adapt to fulfil clients’ dreams:

 

·    The game of basics: We believe right first step leads you closer to your goals. ABCD is all about getting your basics in place, to have a voice, a personality, an identity, a promise, we make you have all of these so you not only pass the levels but win the game.

·    Plan ABCD: We understand every brand is different, we articulate Advertising, Branding, Communication and Design Plan customised for your business needs. So what we come up with for your brand is something no other brand can adapt, as it’s made from you, for you.

·    Compete. Win. Repeat: When you compete with yourself, you always win. With the four uniquely common steps of ABCD, we make you better and better. We land you up to the position where you face no competition as you enjoy monopoly due to the distinct place created exclusively for you.

  

·    Global Recognition: When you have ABCDs right, you reach to the every prospect around the globe and unfold many opportunities to grow with a credible stature.  

·     360⁰ Success: When winning becomes habit, success no longer remains a dream.  Recognition from across the globe leaves success with no other option than coming to you.

The A to B of Selling….

Once upon a time there were two men (lets call them A and B). They both were fierce competitors of one another as a result of being in the same business – to sell!

Both had extremely intelligent strategies for their respective businesses. A’s business was to create awareness amongst the people about a product while B’s business was to make sure that the product lives up-to its name amongst the masses. Both of them were bright. But there was a problem. The growth of their respective businesses was stunted. No matter how hard they tried, no matter how smart they tried, they could not reach their goals.

Eventually on the verge of losing hope, they walked into a bar to drink their problems away (DUH!) Watching  the bartender mix their drinks, it struck them.

“What if we did the same to our businesses?”

They hurried back home and came up with a completely new and innovative strategy. They mixed their talents and resources together. As a result their business boomed.

A and B have been inseparable ever since. Their names were Advertising and Branding.

Advertising is a means of communicating the story of a brand to the audience, whereas branding refers to the building of the impression and reputation that the people have about a product and the process of trying to change or enhance it further. A brand emerges from the whole picture of what advertising does and  advertising emerges from creating brands.

Being an AD-MAD person myself, I may say that Advertising and Branding are the two most important questions for any business process. Unless you say ‘YES’ as an answer to both these questions, you might end up in a bar too (and not in a good way).

‘Advertising is not voodoo. The client could ultimately hope only to create the impression of a connection or resonance between the brand and what was important to consumers. And what was important to consumers was, always and invariably, themselves. What they conceived themselves to be’ -David Foster Wallace

Animal Kingdom Advertising!!

This is the time for a song,a song that we sing
When the rains are drawing near, and the mirth – dark clouds bring.
To look for a partner, to look for a friend,
wide and beautiful, my joyous wings would bend.
For the peacock always knows and the peacock always shows,
how important it is to advertise, the thought that my plumage holds!!

Hot, scorching and dry.. More lonely-less humid,
leaving trail in the desert ..while searching for cupid.
Yes you should fear me, the way i fear you too,
rattling of my tail, is all i can do.
Finding my prey and making the presence felt,
advertising brings a lot, under the rattle snake’s belt.

We toil day and night, work our way to glory.
Never do we fail, never are we sorry.
Keeping our unity intact is our only goal,
working with teamwork and belief in our soul.
For we spread our pheromones, so that our brothers never lose the way,
ants shall always prefer the sunshine,for branding bright hay!

I sing through the dark, I sing towards dawn,
Pitch black as I am, like the chess’s favourite pawn.
With a voice like velvet, too laborious to resist,
very classy, very sweet-with an addictive twist.
Nightingale they call me, deemed with pride,
vocal advertising takes me–farther than my wings can ride!

Fallen stars on the earth, that’s what we are,
flickering here and there, illuminating way beyond par!
Call me a firefly, call me a glow worm,
I shall make my peace,and associate with any term.
Once you’ve touched me, you shall never be glum,
the reason is that I carry, magical light on my bum.

I am making a humble abode, please do not disturb,
for I want to lure the prettiest lass, statuesque and superb.
Will she like these flowers, or would she settle for the leaves?
Shall I use both, so to her it may please?
With pebbles and stones, or little twigs as her prize,
The love of a bower bird, for her would advertise!

Don't Need an AD agency….? Think Again!!

We are all aware of the phrase “selling ice to an eskimo.”Ofcourse , a  person who is really really amazing at his persuasive skills can achieve this feat.So where do you find such an individual? Two words – Advertising Agency. Ad agencies garner such talents in each and every prospect of their selling business which includes concept design,production,purchases right until the market reviews.

The first and foremost step is to identify and select the right agency for your business process which will harness the most out of your available resources -money being the pivotal one! The agency shall work according to your products, objectives, ethos, culture and will create an amazing advertising campaign that will SELL!
Some people believe that hiring an ad agency is a liability to their respective businesses. But the truth is that in these stressed economic times, an agency will think of a way which is distinct and powerful in terms of using the client’s “green color” to their optimum advantage.

This is exactly when a Full Service Agency like Thin- i Advertising & Branding Co. saves the day!

But why Thin-i ?

There is a jungle of ad agencies out there who have hired full time expertise to work on the areas of copy writing, concept creation and execution, art direction and planning. Making use of the talents of the people they have employed, they boringly work with a set goal in mind along a strict professional approach BLAH BLAH BLAH…We obviously undertake this universally observed pattern of work but we still show a much needed contrast.

The fact that makes Thin- i stand apart from the regular crowd and be distinguished is that we believe in ‘SEEING BEYOND’. The letter ‘i’ stands for iDEAS which iNSPIRE and lead to successful iNNOVATIONS. It also represents the iNSIGHTS from the world of iNFINITE iMAGINATION. Thin-i  believes in ideas that are –

• simple yet creatively and strategically inspired
• drive relevant brand differentiations
• unconventional & futuristic in approach
• bring a larger perspective to the brand
• creates a longer impact in the minds of consumers

Not being restricted within the explored world is our motto. We like to go through the wormhole and bring stories of parallel universes back with us…  :)

Talking of exploring stuff, brings us to BRANDS. The perception of a brand by the end user is extremely vital.  Thin- i knows that an increased perception and awareness, increases the chances of acceptance and longetivity of the brand in the minds of the consumers. They strive to build and sustain this image amongst the targeted audience. Transformation of a product or service into a brand is a slow and gradual process. Taking care of each and every phase of this transformation is Thin- i’s  job.

All said and done, to realize the perks that your business will receive you have got to hire the right ad agency. It will put all of its energies into building your brand in a compelling manner through creative strategy and marketing.

So the next time a man is trying to sell you ice in the Arctic, do not fail to ask him this– “ON BEHALF OF WHICH ADVERTISING AGENCY ARE YOU WORKING?”  

;)

THE AD-MAD RECIPE!

INGREDIENTS –

1. One whole advertising agency.
2. One tsp timid intern.
3. One freshly cracked client.
4. One tablespoon of a demented creative director.
5. A bowl of chopped craziness.
6. Freshly grated beauty of ideas, intelligence and charm.
7. A talented graphic artist.
8. A bucketful of PASSION fruit.

PROCEDURE :-

• Take one whole advertising agency and make sure it is firm and finely ambitious.
• Take years and years of experience, a spoonful of successes and failures, awards and rejections, rise and falls. Mix it all together to form a paste.
• Add this paste to the ad agency and let it marinate. The more the marination the better.
• In a separate pan, take one tsp of a timid and totally confused intern. Fry it on medium heat of deadlines until you get a nice aroma of intelligence and talent.
• Once the timidness and confusion starts to crackle, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
• Put the marinated ad agency and our freshly cooled intern in a mixer-grinder and blend them real nice. Now you have turned the intern into an employee.
• Introduce the employee with an important assignment from a freshly crackedclient.
• Let the employee simmer with the assignment on a low flame. Keep stirring the employee with the help of a demented creative director occasionally.(very important step)
• When you see the intern all red, boiling and blabbering with excitement successfully, turn off the heat and cover the idea with the lid of APPRECIATION.
• Pour the contents in a large bowl and add a dollop of amazing designs and typography to it. Place slices of passion fruit on the side of the dish to decorate. Now your advertisement is ready to eat.
• Watch this out of the box delicacy instantly connect with the people eating and raving about it. 
  SERVE HOT … BON APPETIT !!    :)

USEFUL TIPS :-

• If the intern is raw, wait until it is fully ripe and ready to be an employee before putting it in the mainstream advertising recipe.
• Always choose a “cuckoo” creative director. (They are the ones with the maximum stirring ability).

-STAY MAD, SEE BEYOND.
(Thin-i Advertising & Branding co.)

Coffeevertising… !!

So i woke up this morning in front of a mirror and this amazingly hideous person was looking back at me…For a minute there i thought that the ZOMBIE apocalypse had struck already. It took me a moment to realise – “Hey, that’s just me, without my morning coffee!

I very well know that every human who thinks that this dark beverage is their “YODA – the driving force”, shall agree with me.
COFFEE IS NOT AN ADDICTION – IT IS A RELIGION. For the people who proudly declare to being bitten by the advertising bug, it is a very common thing to be stuck at something stupid for hours on end and whine. You just have that one cuppa and – VOILA…….. yes…. you’re still stuck, but the whining sure is fun now

Coffee is such a widely practised ritual amongst the creative clan, i can actually imagine them waving pompoms and cheerleading –

“Coffee..Coffee it’s our drink!

If we don’t get it, we can’t think…!”

I work at this brilliant ad agency in Mumbai where I have been hired to THINK. They pay me for my ideas. I am so very glad that coffee isn’t a person. Because then it would have been really unfair if i didn’t split my pay cheque with it at the end of every month. Imagine the comfort of working in an environment where everyone is as crazy about coffee as you are…and that includes my creative director too… My boss is a very calm and composed lady. I have never seen her yell or go mad at anybody… (Yet!) But if a doomsday like this ever dawns upon me,
i already have thought of a solution to that –

Step 1. Retreat to a safe distance.

Step 2. Slide a mug of coffee at her.

Step 3. Wait for the calamity to pass.

That ought to put me in her good list for a while, because the kind of a coffee person that she is, somehow i believe, she carries an invisible sign above her head –
 “INSERT COFFEE TO BEGIN”

That’s the story of just one ad agency. There are a million more out there all around the world who breathe coffee day in and day out.
So much so that September 29 has been declared as ‘National Coffee Day’ in the U.S.

That’s a lot of talk for today. It’s time to go and brew myself a cup of freshly ground heaven. You keep watching this space for more interesting stories and anecdotes

– says the Coffeewriter *cough cough* i meant Copywriter, Thin- i Advertising & Branding Company.

If no one reads, then why do we write?

Don’t write so much! Write it short! Keep it simple and precise! Who’ll read such a long copy? Why write so much? These doubts and suggestions land me up with another set of questions, do people actually read ads or they just see visuals? It’s like asking, who came first egg or hen?  Answers are many, but conclusion ZERO!

The war between copy and visual is never ending! If it’s the visual that is going to take the cake, then why writers put so much effort to write in the first place. I’m sure these questions crossed every writer’s mind at some point of the time. As in an adagency every artist craves for something above the material aspects. We’re always looking for something more, that pat on back, that well done, that smile on readers’ face, creative satisfaction that brings change.

They say a picture says more than 1000 words. But if you ask me, a word creates 1000 pictures in mind. Different people interpret words in their own way. Like when I say LOVE, some of you will bring out the red rose that you have in your diary, some of you will think of your little toddler who’s waiting for you back home, some of you will remember the Aloo Paratha that your mother makes…!

In short, advertising is a creative agreement between Visual and Copy. Sometimes a visual drag the reader to headline; sometimes the headline brings him in the ad, in both ways the remaining element acts as a supporter. It need not be a long copy or an out of the box visual, just a simple piece of writing with an attractive visual is enough to take the reader on a journey that ends with him urging to own the product.So when next time your creative bud craves for a masterpiece of advertising, do ask yourself, I’m writing a creative piece of ad but is that enough?

The World of Advertising Exceptions

I get up every morning by 7 a.m. I take 8 hours sleep. I don’t have insomnia. I don’t have moustache, beard, or spikes. And I guess a girl with moustache and beard won’t look that appealing too.(kindly give a pause to your wild imagination.) I don’t smoke or drink. I hang out with my friends on every weekend. Yes, I have two days off on every alternate week.

By now you must have made your mind to close the article as you’re surely not here to read about my daily routine. I know it’s kind of boring too, but I don’t understand if the routine is so boring, why do we follow it so religiously?? And above all of it, I am not Rekha, Madhuri, Kareena or Alia, a celebrity whom you like to follow or read about. But maybe the next line will drag you back in the article. I’m from the industry, which has given Prasoon Joshi, R. Balki and many more such legends to the Bollywood, legends that are making their mark and creating difference.

I am from the advertising industry. An industry which is known for its creative work and with that also known more for people with the funky looks (girls with colored streaks, boys with funky specs, trendy  haircuts, and so on…), habits (smoking to release pressure, being in pressure all the time, drinking in sadness and drinking to give company to a friend in his sadness…) and behaviors (sleeping during the day, giving company to owls at night, meeting family on national holidays…). But this list comes with an asterisk as these could be worse if the deadlines are near.

Even I had the same impression about the industry. But it changed completely when I got to work in Thin-i. Thin-ian’s (our team) changed my perception. Yes, we (Thin-ian’s) belong to the same world as they all do, but we differ on the other parameters, we think different. Our work is funky, trend changing or to make it more convincing out-of-the-box, the term more frequently said by advertising professionals than actually used.

Though we call ourselves advertising aliens, we are just like others, but still different, as our thoughts set us apart.

You must be thinking, everyone says that, yes, right, everyone does, but very few actually show it through their work. And luckily we fall under that ‘very few’ category, as we believe it’s always beneficial to be on the minority side. So we really enjoy being so similarly different. As it sets us apart and still makes us a part of the advertising world.