Marketing that deserves a hug

As a follower of marketing one has this compulsive desire to watch ads.. I was watching it one day and felt very happy.. ask why? So many ads talk about happiness, be happy, open happiness, happy with Honda, believe in a happier tomorrow to name a few. Oh God, even the once uninspiring Godrej is talking about being happy. What has the world come to?

Everyone knows it. People want to see others happy, now brands too try to spread the elusive happiness to its customers.. just like spirituality – the joy of living, the transcendental happiness.

Now let us do a bit of comparison.

Whether it is the evolution of human race or tracing the habits of a single simple human being as he grows from a child to middle age, it depicts these stages. Mind, heart and soul.

Us – stage 1:
Initially he wants this and that. ‘I have 5 chocolates and you have only 3’ is dictated by the sensorial body influenced by ‘monkey’ mind.

Us – stage 2:
Emotional heart causes your love, break up and zindagi and it feels elated and broken, both avoidable.

Us – stage 3:
The third state of a man or woman is the awareness of ‘collective consciousness’ or the ‘one soul’ existence.

Now, marketing has reached this stage and am I happy about it?

Marketing stage 1:
Yes, marketing used to be product centric, transactional and appealed to the mind some 10 years ago. It was marked by rational product characteristics and hard features sell. for eg., only whirlpool has RO system for better quality – no one believes it anyway.

Marketing stage 2:
Then it was the era of emotional selling to the heart – emotional, aspirational benefits that sparks desire… ha ha ha .. the Red Tape ‘Live your Fantasy’ campaign wherein the guy can pick up any girl from the vending machine is an example. (the foolish looking guy with crooked legs can win anorexic girls is at least not unimaginable).

Marketing stage 3:
Then dawns the era of marketing that caters to the spirit or the collective human kind. It is not about product or benefits, but the vision of the organization and what does the organization stand for – tell you want to make a difference to the world. Who can forget the Nissan’s Polar bear ad that warns people of global warming?
I would hug the bear…. And of course anyone who supports the cause of social marketing.