Marketing Without Advertising | Manu Kumar Jain | TEDxIIFTDelhi

Summary

Helena Bedalli explores the concept of building a brand without traditional advertising. She challenges the notion that marketing is synonymous with advertising, highlighting how companies like Xiaomi, Facebook, and Tesla have achieved success through product innovation and word-of-mouth, rather than TV ads. Bedalli emphasizes the importance of a great product, the role of brand influencers, and the diminishing relevance of the four Ps in modern marketing.

Takeaways

• 📺 Historically, marketing was synonymous with advertising, but new strategies are emerging that challenge this notion.
• 🚀 The speaker's journey from Doordarshan to the internet and mobile phones illustrates the rapid evolution of media and its impact on brand building.
• 💡 The success of companies like Xiaomi in India, without traditional advertising, questions the necessity of TV ads for brand success.
• 🌐 The internet, especially mobile internet, has revolutionized how businesses reach consumers, offering new pathways for brand growth.
• 🛍️ E-commerce platforms like Jabong and Flipkart have innovated in distribution and payment methods, such as cash on delivery, to meet consumer needs.
• 🚀 Product innovation is paramount; companies that focus on creating exceptional products can succeed with minimal advertising.
• 🌟 Building a brand involves creating a community of brand influencers who can authentically promote the product within their social circles.
• 📈 The script challenges the traditional 'four Ps' of marketing, emphasizing that 'Product' is the most critical and can overshadow the others.
• 📉 Companies that rely solely on advertising without a strong product can fail, as seen with Askmebazaar, despite high-profile endorsements.
• 🔄 The contrast between Patanjali and Dabur shows that with a great product and minimal advertising, significant market share can be achieved quickly.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the discussion in the transcript?

The main topic of the discussion is the concept of building a brand without traditional advertising, focusing on the importance of product quality and innovation over marketing spend.

How does the speaker suggest traditional marketing is typically conducted?

The speaker suggests that traditional marketing is conducted by launching a product followed by extensive traditional advertising such as TV ads, with the assumption that people will then come and buy the product.

What example does the speaker give from the 1990s to illustrate traditional brand building?

The speaker gives the example of Doordarshan and the introduction of Delhi Metro channel, where new soaps and brands started showing their TV ads, which were the primary means of introducing brands to the audience during the 1990s.

What significant change did the speaker experience with the advent of the Internet?

The speaker experienced a significant change with the advent of the Internet, where they could access information on platforms like Yahoo! by simply typing in queries, marking a new way of communication and a shift from traditional media.

How did the speaker's perception of the Internet change in 2010?

In 2010, the speaker's perception of the Internet changed when they were introduced to the concept of accessing the Internet on a mobile phone, which was a new and exciting development for them.

What was the speaker's realization about traditional marketing methods while working at Jabong?

While working at Jabong, the speaker realized that traditional marketing methods involving TV ads and other forms of advertising might not be the most effective way to build a brand, especially when comparing to successful internet companies like Google and Facebook that did not rely on such methods.

What was the main challenge the speaker faced when starting Xiaomi's business in India?

The main challenge the speaker faced when starting Xiaomi's business in India was the skepticism from others who believed the business would fail due to their strategy of selling phones exclusively online without any TV advertising.

According to the speaker, what is the key factor that differentiates successful brands that do not rely on advertising?

According to the speaker, the key factor that differentiates successful brands that do not rely on advertising is having a fundamentally great product, with the founders and CEOs being heavily focused on product innovation and quality.

How do these successful companies build brand influence without traditional advertising?

These successful companies build brand influence by cultivating a small group of social influencers who genuinely believe in and love their products, becoming brand evangelists who spread the message within their social circles, which is more trustworthy than traditional advertising.

What is the speaker's view on the effectiveness of advertising in building a brand?

The speaker views advertising as an ineffective method for building a brand if the product is not fundamentally great. They argue that advertising is a lazy form of marketing and that companies should focus on creating great products instead.

Can you provide an example from the transcript where the speaker illustrates the failure of advertising without a great product?

The speaker provides the example of Askmebazaar, an e-commerce company that spent heavily on TV ads with big brand ambassadors but was shut down due to a lack of a great product, illustrating that advertising alone cannot build a successful brand.