Sure, I'll 'Be mOre', but where's the discount?

When Piyush Pandey attributes the Titan commercial campaign theme of 'Be More' to the brand being 'confident' about urging consumers to live their dreams, I have to chuckle. What he means is, if a brand weren't as confident as lets say, Titan, it would harp on features and other benefits (read, focus on product) and not take on a 'focus on insight' route.

But then, what Titan does is what any brand that positions itself as not being a 'functional' product, must do. Every time a lifestyle brand tries to differentiate based on features, it does itself a disservice, as that in itself is never good enough as a 'differential'. Plus it takes no time for a competitor to imitate that very same features. Life style products must pitch themselves as unique, on emotional factors rather than rational ones.

Plus every time a brand communicates to its audience on the Idiot Box it must know that all consumer learning would be passive and therefore a lecture on features wouldn't have takers. Instead it must focus on emotional themes high on imagery and sound that connect at that level with the consumer.

Its also worth remembering that commercial campaigns may help build the right 'attitudes' towards a brand. But then, what may ultimately clinch a sale may not be the 'Be More' exhortation by Titan, but the '25% off on an exchange' promo that the brand runs (currently on).