Blog « Lokus Design

Did You See The Match Last Night?

Across countries, cultures, and sporting persuasions, this question is a guaranteed conversation starter. Everyone you ask knows, everyone cares, and everyone has something deeply insightful to contribute. That last ball six, that heart-breaking loss in the semis to the top seed, and that crucial referee’s call, it’s all up for discussion and is all grist for the conversational mill. People don’t just follow sports with passion, they invest themselves into the result. This is not a game -a loss is nothing short of a personal disaster. But what makes us be that way? Why do we care so much?

In many ways, the sports field is the last bastion of fairness. It’s the one place where hard work, talent, and merit usually triumphs. So many sports-related metaphors reflect as much -a place where everyone has an equal opportunity is a “level playing field”, someone working extra hard towards a goal is “putting in the hard yards”, a “hit below the belt” is unfair and will be called a foul, and many more. Our chosen team, our favourite player, our nation, and our region represent us out there. A win for them is a win for us -made all the sweeter by the realization that this win was, by definition, well-deserved. It came about because of “our” toil. “We” worked for it and now “we” have it. The world may rub its penchant for unfairness in our face every day in every other way, but this is one place where no one can stop us lifting the trophy. You could say that its Game, Set, and Match to our team. What about that game last night, huh!

Must Women Have A Day Dedicated To Them?

8^th March is here, and Women have their day again. Tributes to specific women and to the kind, in general, seem to be appearing everywhere. These seem to be garbed in a spectrum of emotions ranging from mildly condescending to admiringly sincere. Temporarily drowned into the undercurrent by this chorus are voices questioning the rationale of even having an International Women’s Day. Men don’t have a day, do they? And these voices may have a point. Perhaps, there really shouldn’t have to be an artificial construct like the International Women’s Day.

This Day seeks to provide an occasion to recognize the contribution of the women around us. This forces us as a society to acknowledge that such a contribution exists and that it is vital. It is a nod to the undeniable fact, that many choose to deny, that on most other days this contribution is left unacknowledged. This is not an attempt to place women on a pedestal. Rather it is part of well-meaning, but sometimes futile, campaign to give them space they richly deserve.

Even in India women are flying passenger and fighter jets, leading the BSF’s border parade at the Wagah Border, helming businesses, winning medals in sporting competitions, and setting the public policy and governance agenda. But until this becomes the norm rather than the exception, Women will continue to have a Day, at least until they get the rest of the year!

Mourning our Celebs

“Gone too soon.”

“Saddened by the loss. RIP.”

“Can’t get over the Shock.”

The passing of a much-loved public figure releases an outpouring of grief on social media and the airwaves. Tears are shed and eulogies delivered, even by folks with only the most tenuous connection with the life of the one who passed. But these days the grief phase seems to swiftly morph into something else altogether. It used to be that one never spoke ill of the dead. Now there seems to be an unseemly trend tilting towards the other end of the spectrum. Rampant speculation springs forth about the tiniest of their flaws, the “real” cause of death, and the “truth” about their seemingly happy lives.

Celebs and public figures are different from us, and we often cannot grasp quite why. Maybe such occasions give us an opportunity to reassure ourselves that all that separates them from us is a willingness to give in to these flaws, to take those risks that we could not take, to sacrifice happiness in the quest for fame and fortune… This is a chance for us to say, “I always knew she couldn’t look like that naturally. She had too much plastic surgery”; “He was miserable in real life and drank heavily.” And so on…

No sooner does the person become a “body”, the “pedestal” they were put on by us in their lifetime, gets dismantled. The aim may be to humanize the tragedy for the masses but it ends up dehumanizing the soul that departed. And all the English Vinglish in the dictionary cannot change that once it happens.

The Big Money Frauds

It seems now that the news of the financial scams that hit our nation’s banking system is in real danger of running out of zeroes to use while typing up the reports. The magnitude of each “fraudulent deal of the day” dwarves that of the one that came before it. Yesterday’s corrupt and crooked seem almost blameless in comparison. But does our reaction to these scams also hide a tale? When you hear about scams like these does it seem like we direct our anger towards the bank caught up in it? Wouldn’t it be more obvious to blame the perpetrator and not the victim? Is this justified?

Perhaps, this is a reaction to the perceived injustice of a banking system that seems to reserve all its scrutiny and “by the rules” severity for the common man. Borrowing money from a bank is still an emotionally taxing affair for the ordinary citizen. They jump through hoops to prove they need the loan and that they deserve to get it. They sign ominous looking documents loaded with intimidating legalese and adorned with myriad stamps and seals. They devastate whole checkbooks in the quest for an adequate number of post-dated cheques. And, heaven forbid, should they happen to miss even one installment of the repayment, they stand to lose public face, damage their credit-worthiness and have to face the full force of the law. All this while the real thieves seem to make their mega moves unchallenged. Is our angst an acknowledgement of our deepest suspicions that all men are equal but some are more equal than others (to paraphrase Orwell)?

5 Brands that went beyond just selling products…

In today’s increasingly chaotic market, it may be hard to believe that there still exist some brands that let their hearts rule their heads. They possess the remarkable ability to think beyond narrow technical terms like market gains and social media celebrity and allow their Positive Valence and their Values to guide their actions. At the end of the day, they earn precious credibility for following their conscience, and as it happens, they also seem to succeed in the eyes of their consumers. Here we share with you five such inspirational stories of brands that went beyond just selling products:

Netflix – Committed to providing great content to its viewers, Netflix, in 2014, decided to invest heavily in creating original content. This translated into supporting several thought-provoking, landmark documentaries, which made the common man sit up and take notice of the environmental and social issues bothering the planet. One of the most notable documentaries is titled Chasing Coral that includes over 650 hours of underwater footage from 30 countries! In spite of being in the “entertainment” industry, Netflix continues to make a real difference by providing something with long-lasting, deep impact on its viewers.

Canon – As a brand, Canon has always followed a philosophy called Kyosei meaning ‘living and working together for the common good’. A true reflection of this is be their #selfieless campaign. This campaign is positive and heartfelt, but nowhere does it talk the language expected from a leading camera company. Rather than encourage shallow, narcissistic posing, it encourages people to turn away from the camera and focus on the good things around us, to do good for everyone else. In fact, it is a beautiful manner to gently guide people towards believing in their Positive Valence.
Puma – Puma has for long strived to be responsible and one of the ways they have been doing so is by reducing their carbon footprint. So much so that the company invested in a 21-month long project to come up with a completely environmentally sustainable shoe bag instead of opting for the regular shoebox. While for the company this ‘Clever Little Bag’ has brought its cardboard usage down by 65%, for the consumers, they now have a reusable/ recyclable bag at their disposal. It is super-cool for a brand to spend money and time in exploring various possible measures for the benefit of simply everyone.
Etihad – As a national carrier, Etihad has long cared about bringing the passenger’s attention on to its cultural roots. This airline giant partnered with Sougha, a social enterprise that works to preserve Emirati culture. They made in-flight amenity bags and other artisanal produce available for its travellers. Etihad, being a culturally sensitive brand, not only succeeded in highlighting the beauty and need of preserving local crafts, but also helped generate income for Emirati artisans.
Budweiser – Budweiser seeks to make a difference to society at large and this shows in more ways than one. The company drives several commendable initiatives to promote safe and responsible drinking habits. For instance, their ‘Friends are Waiting’ campaign appealed to its consumers to not drink and drive. Just as notable are some of their other initiatives such like the ‘Get Home Safe’ water bottles equipped with the numbers of local taxi companies. These bottles are distributed at universities and music events where a large number of youngsters congregate. The aim is to explain the importance of safe alcohol consumption. To us, this shows how the brand is not just worried about sales but is concerned about the quality of the lives of its many consumers.

Brands like these connect with their consumers because they make a genuine, positive impact on our everyday lives. They focus on what really matters to people, rather than on temporary marketing gimmicks. Perhaps almost inevitably, they also have been successful in engaging their audience with that proactive thought.

For more on this, write to us at info@lokusdesign.com.

It takes a week to find Love – and that’s perfectly fine!

When did a Day become a Week? 14^th February has long belonged to St. Valentine, a day for tongue-tied suitors and otherwise taken for granted spouses, but have you noticed the creeping conquest of this day over the week preceding it? Now Valentine’s Day is but the crashing drum roll bringing the rising crescendo to a close. Leading into the build-up are days for giving everything from roses, to chocolates, to hugs, and more. The calendar is now a step by step playbook, laid out in so many easy to follow steps! But maybe that build up is essential today.

People of all ages and occupations are living out their lives in a pressure cooker of extreme competitiveness, mental tension, looming deadlines, physical stress, and emotional insecurity. In the urban jungle, opening up about inner feelings is like exposing a vulnerability for the world around to exploit. Self-preservation means that being guarded about emotions has become the default mode of human functioning. We have fallen out of the habit of expressing emotion. That being the case, the one time of the year when it is the norm to be expressive, wouldn’t a well-designed guide on how to get there be just the thing? It’s harder than ever to express your love for someone, but isn’t it easier to buy a rose today, a box of chocolates tomorrow, a card the day after, and so on? So, it takes a week to find Love – and that’s perfectly fine!

Money Matters – Budget 2018

Not many would accuse economists of being entertaining but there is one annual economic exercise that grabs the collective attention of India and Indians like no other- the Annual Budget. Feverish pre-budget speculation spills over from the economic papers into the mainstream media. On the airwaves, unwary passers-by and otherwise silenced homemakers are forced into making economic pronouncements on their expectations from the nation’s budget. Post-budget evaluations present an existential paradox as the effort gets both lauded as path-breaking and derided as ill-considered. Why do the people care so much about a fundamentally mundane accounting exercise?

The government’s revenues come from a complex basket comprising multiple sources but what each citizen sees first hand is the taxes being drawn from their pockets. The very complexity of the basket makes virtually all the other sources invisible to them. Having contributed, what they think is the lion’s share, to the government’s coffers they believe they have the right to ask for an accounting. And perhaps more importantly, they feel entitled to benefit directly from their contribution. In a nutshell, the people may be seeing answers to two fundamental questions. What are you doing with “MY” money? And, what will “I” get out of it? It’s up to the government of the day to provide the answers.

“Purpose” Is Back In Positioning And We Love It!

Great brands have one thing in common- they are all driven by a Purpose of creating and delivering value in the lives of people. Successful brands always seem to be a step ahead of their competitors – whether it is to anticipate what the market needs and delivering it impeccably time after time. In fact, in many ways, it seems they don’t even care about the competition and they forge their own path. The question then is, how do these brands manage to stay ahead of the game? How are they able to craft enduring relationships with their customers that seem to stand the test of time? How do they carve out a niche market that seems to exist solely for them?

Over the course of building a brand, organizations often get trapped in the vicious vortex of Entropy – the chaos of competitive frenzy that exhausts them and distracts them from their own Positive Valance. They focus on being market leaders by incessantly responding to what the competition is doing. This Entropy-fuelled race shifts the focus on lofty marketing strategies without first defining the Brand Purpose. Without a sense of Purpose, a Brand essentially is nothing… almost like a rudderless ship in stormy waters waiting for deliverance. In such cases, the focus is forever shifting… what the market says, why was our social media campaign less popular than the competitors, how to make out packaging look more “with it” to attract the young audience that seems to be more attracted to that other brand… the list goes on. Driven by a constant need for external validation, such Brands always look outwards to follow what others are doing. As a result, they emerge as mere copycats. In a world that is gradually being consumed by imitators, standing out demands courage… and an inherent sense of Purpose.

Purpose also becomes the hero in the story of Brand Positioning. While the importance of Brand Positioning cannot be denied in the life story of a Brand, addressing this important marketing milestone without defining the Brand’s inherent Purpose is almost counterproductive. Without Purpose, Positioning initiatives are like a merry-go-round shifting messages, target segments, and donning Personalities – none of them truly authentic.

Brands that have managed to stay relevant in today’s hyper-competitive market have retained a strong sense of Purpose. They have identified the zeitgeist of today’s economy and have successfully crafted their response on the foundation of ‘why’ they really exist. Do you think companies like Apple, Airbnb or Virgin, for example, could survive in this world and be as successful as they are today had they not found their Purpose? Would they have been successful had their Purpose been to simply be better than their competitors?

While the Purpose, Proposition, and Positioning of a brand are equally important, it seems that Purpose is often a victim of the Cinderella complex – treated like the unworthy stepsister. Unless a Brand has a clear sense of Purpose that comes from a genuine insight into their own core strengths and Values, on what will they base their strategies and transform their businesses? Steve Jobs could manage to make Apple a Brand that the world lusted after only because he had a Vision that was driven by a strong sense of Purpose of always challenging the status quo through products that are beautifully designed and easy to use.

A research conducted by Deloitte showed the mounting evidence on the importance of Brands aligning to a Purpose. According to their survey, ‘Purpose’ trumps ‘Profits’ since Purpose builds confidence in long term growth. The report also shows that 82% of the employees were more confident that their organization would be more successful and grow faster if it was fuelled with a strong sense of Purpose. Almost 91% of the respondents believed that a strong sense of Purpose would help an organization to not only build loyalty but also strengthen it for the foreseeable future. A strong sense of Purpose also leads to the commitment of delivering top quality products and services. It fuels long-term, sustainable growth. All of this helps in Brand building activities in an organic manner.

A study published in Harvard Business Review also builds the case for having a ‘Purpose’ in today’s context. According to this report, Purpose brings meaning to a company that goes beyond shareholder value. “Purpose-driven companies make more money, have more engaged employees and more loyal customers, and are even better at innovation and transformational change.”

Purpose actually helps organizations discover their Identity. When a strong sense of Purpose is etched in the fabric of an organization, all strategies, be it that of marketing a product or that of innovation, have a direction to follow. Growth in such an environment becomes an organic and natural consequence of the focus that comes from identifying Positive Valance.

Dr. Seuss said, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Unless you are the real you, how can you bond with your genuine customer base and create a Brand that delivers value to their lives? Without a sense Purpose, then, how can you Position a Brand correctly in the hearts and the minds of your customers?

For more on this, write to us at info@lokusdesign.com.

The Public and the Republic Day

The magnificence of the Indian Air Force’s aerial displays, the awe-inspiring weapons systems on display, the competitive grandeur of the floats from the states, and the poignancy of seeing the families of the winners of the medals of valour –what would Republic Day be without those references? Everything about our Republic Day, right up to the uber-synchronised Beating Retreat is designed to impress and inspire the citizens. In comparison, Independence Day seems to be a much more functional, almost austere observance –why the difference?

Independence Day is an uncomplicated celebration of freedom – of becoming free from an oppression that, despite the 70 years that have passed, is still very personal to most Indians as we go about savouring that freedom in our everyday lives. The Republic Day challenge is how to get the people as excited or involved with the acceptance of a document, even if it is the very foundation of what makes India the nation it is? The citizens may choose to be less than excited about the workings of the government but the Republic Day displays offer stunning visual proof of what the country has achieved – a kind of report card of the country if you will. Could the purpose of all the ceremony be to join the citizens with the celebrations? Could the pageantry be an invitation to the people to become a part of the celebrations, to draw confidence from the display of our greatness as a nation? Could this be the public in the Republic Day?

Hearing The Voice Of Reason In The Social Echo Chamber

On social media, do you “like” what you hear? Or could it be that you hear what you “like”? The online world in general, and social media, in particular, has become a system that seems to exist to sustain its own opinions – an echo chamber of sorts where one hears exactly what one is looking to hear. This is by design, not by accident – the business model of these megabrands demands that they serve users what is more likely to make then spend more time on the site. What is popular is believed to be true, and with enough money and effort, anything can become popular. So, is it all doom and gloom on the social front?

Facebook’s new update may be the ray of hope the online world is looking for. In many ways, the allegations of “fake news” and manipulative content seem to hurt Facebook more than it does most. This is a network that claims to give people the power to build communities to bring the world closer together. Going by the public pronouncements of Mark Zuckerberg about the new update, Facebook seems to be stepping away from what is “relevant” to their users to what is “meaningful” to them. They acknowledge that this will make users spend less time on the site – but that the time they do spend will mean much more. This is a radical thought but clearly aligned with the values the brand stands for. Zuckerberg says, “we can help make sure that Facebook is time well spent.” – and that is clearly the voice of reason.

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