For one whole month, it seemed the world cares nothing but Zoozoos. And we can feel it even now, when the ads and the iconic figures are not on air.
So what can we call this Zoozoo phenomenon? A brand building masterstroke? Or a case study of failed advertisements with very limited effect on actual results?
Lets start with facts.
1. Vodafone needed something that can de-touch themselves from the clutches of the Hutch “Pug”. I guess, the Vodafone executives are sick and tired of the Pug, after all they paid three times the asset value for the hutch brand simply because of its pull created by the iconic pug. Now with the success of Zoozoo, Vodafone India finally can claim about something thats their own.
2. Like it or hate it, Zoozoo itself has become a phenomenon. The number of Facebook fans of Zoozoo have swelled to 3,07,072 (as on June 17, 2009) far surpassing the number of fans for cricketing and Bollywood icons like Sachin Tendulkar and Amitabh Bachchan, legendary superheroes like Superman and even comic characters like Asterix.
3. Before launching the Zoozoo campaign, Vodafone crossed Airtel in monthly sales for the first time in their history. But after the campaign, Airtel has gained back some ground.
The real test of effectiveness of Zoozoo lies in its objective achievement. Yes, this campaign didnt generate the sales number to justify the return on the massive investment. Yes, this campaign will never create the pull for Vodafone value added services or increase revenue to that extent.
These were never the objectives of this campaign, therefore we shouldnt judge the effectiveness based on these parameters. What this campaign set out to do is create some much required buzz around the brand and break the clutter among the frenzy surrounding the IPL. Did they succeed?
Hell yeah. In fact, the IPL 2 will forever be remembered as the season of Zoozoos.
This brings forth the most important question of all. Should brands spend money in times of recession purely to generate buzz, not to generate sales?
The answer lies in the depth of brand war chest. If you got money, why not. If you dont, tough luck.
2 comments
Aditya Kabir
July 31, 2009 at 6:57 pm
this is exactly what i have been watching carefully – campaigns overtaking the brand so much that eventually sales suffering bad. some of the best (yes, even those lionized Lion winner) sometimes end in dismal figures on the sales growth chart. on the other hand quite forgettable, even hated, adverts can, and does, bring wonders to the sales figures. as long as the advertising agencies and the corporate marketers don’t come out of their pretension that they are here to make art, this trend may not change as yet. every board member loves his/her little niece and grand-uncle come over and tell him/her how wonderful the ad was. and then the people go and reject it completely. add some great salesman like gray in bangladesh, and you’d know what i’m talking about.
nearvision
July 31, 2009 at 7:30 pm
this is exactly is the thing that’s bothering me – sizzling campaigns where the creatives achieve with very high SOM, TOM and whatever – and then stripping the brand that market level. Even some of the highyl lionized campaigns (with a Lion or two to show for it) haven’t shown any marker response, beyond generating some WOM. On the other hand some pretty mundane and boring adverts has done the trick, and sold the brand like crazy. I know a brand creative doesn’t necessarily has to be a green grocer’s sales pitch, but is also doesn’t need to be a brand killer. “Nightmare in Elms Street” sales just that – the movie. But, a Vodaphone ad doesn’t sale zoozoo. it sales the service. we as advertisers, are supposed to create marketers and meet the needs of consumers, not create great art. unfortunately a great sales man from the agency can always the boardroom dwellers that a completely F***ed up campaign would ad a lot of value to the brand. if only they talked to the sales figures, a lot many of them should now have been running to the church to scream – “Father, I have committed a crime.” damn.