Too much OTS, Dear Anant

Yo!

If I see the words "impeccably dressed" and "limited edition" or hideous pink bling clothes in the context of a?wedding again I?shall scream! It has been impossible to escape - whether it is Facebook or NYT or ET or X.An Opportunity To See (OTS) of 3 within a reasonable span of time, is considered sufficient in advertising. If I see a brand three times within a week, it is likely to make an imprint on me. Based on that, if I have a need for whatever the ad is selling, I am likely to buy it. 3 is minimum and a bit more, like 5, is usually helpful in retaining information. It doesn't need to be the same message or format. For example, you could read a newsletter from me, watch a video, read my book and you'd remember my name as a marketing expert.

"It’s an edu-entertainment. Once you read it, no need to subscribe to any other marketing newsletter. " - Ashwini M Deshpande ?

Too Much OTS is TMI!

If you're the average person of Indian origin, you have probably seen Anant & Radhika's name way more than three times a week or month recently. You probably don't even need to tag on their surnames of Ambani and Merchant any more to know who they are. I say Indian origin because the paid media campaign appears to target that demographic. But if you're not of Indian origin, chances are you've seen these names in connection with the recent visits to India of Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Tony Blair, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg to join the festivities.I see their stories more than 3 times a day despite trying to teach the algorithms that I'm not interested. On the other hand I am guilty of rubbernecking and I do have a morbid fascination to find out what is next in the ongoing series of events. Like maybe there is a world domination plan behind the?timeline domination plan?! It is disappointingly just more of the same - bling and artistes who would be a great?fit at a 10th birthday party."Made in India, Marry in India" said the Indian Prime Minister back in January. It helps the local economy. I was in Mumbai earlier this week, and sitting in the St Regis lobby with Siddesh Joglekar we were offered a free glass of champagne by the hotel staff for no particular reason. I assumed there was so much swirling about in Mumbai this week that they figured a couple of glasses wouldn't be noticed! Thank you A&R for lifting the spirits of the local hotel industry :)But this is a marketing newsletter and I am not going to fob you off with "5 marketing lessons we can learn from the Wedding of Anant & Radhika". There's just two!?

2 Marketing Lessons from Anant & Radhika's Wedding Series

Lesson 1: Too much OTS can result in TMI (too much information!)Being too visible can be off putting.The brand may come across as too needy. Or greedy. Or irritating.? Like those ads that appear over and over on TV and start to cue a phone or bio break immediately. Too low is bad too. Just one ad is unlikely to be memorable no matter how big or awesome it is. You need to achieve an OTS of at least 3. OTS of 3 a week is nice, but for long sales cycle products, an OTS of 3 a month should be ok.Lesson 2: More ads means a greater variety of contentAds are a storytelling vehicle. So you need lots of stories. Let's say you sell saris. You could talk about variety, provenance, authenticity, fashion trends, pricing, manufacturing process, historic legacy, awards, different ways to style a sari, blouse options, makeup trends that go with each sari, the kind of people who choose each type of sari....Or if you are in B2B there's the whole buying cycle to address - awareness stories, credibility stories, comparisons, user testimonials, trusted influencers, case studies, awards...Basically whether you're on a shoestring budget or a?silver?platinum spoon one, you have to build a deep content calendar before rushing off to advertise if you want to see results.?

Results, what's that?

For the Ambanis the digital ad spend is like virtual confetti or rice thrown at a wedding - a negligible % of the overall spend. Favourable comments and number of views are likely to be their sole metrics.But if you are a frugal marketer, you'd want to look for conversion. If you have sufficient OTS but are still not seeing conversion, you should research the BANT filters of your target audience.?

I like bling

Bling adds?sparkle to a day. It doesn't have to be diamonds. I'm good with tinsel extensions and chirpy colours. And whatever may be my thoughts on the Ambani clan, they certainly don't hold back on wearing bright colours! (See? I do have areas of similarity with them!). I have always wondered whether men feel gloomier because they wear black and white to office? Even Mark Zuck put out his July 4th video in a black and white tux even though he was surfing...Do write in and tell me your views. I felt a twinge of awkwardness at a recent meeting where I was in a green suit and everyone else was in black ones. Only one brave man wore dark blue.?

Review copy of my book - Marketing Without Money

If you'd like a review copy of my book please sign up on the?waitlist . It's suitable for anyone interested in marketing and who wants to do it on a sensible budget.Have a good weekend!

Have a good weekend!

Jessie?Paul

[email protected]

CEO, Paul Writer