Monday 2 March 2009

Lyrics deeper than Dylan!



Ok. I am being sarcastic. But the text on the left if part of the wrapping on a bottle of water branded "HIMALAYAN" and sold by a TATA Group company. The TATA Group is one of the most prominent business groups in India.

"I look back on life, its funny how things turn out. You a connoisseur of fast food, now gaze on water that took years to make. And i, some of the purest water in the World, stand here, trapped in a bottle."

Folks, who wants to read this on a bottle of water? Who is Himalayan targeting?

Its kids 16 and below who, we believe, actually read labels regularly and with relish. We took this to our neighbors children who read it, and shrugged their shoulders, unable to connect with the text.

We don't know under what circumstances this text was approved. But surely this is not what you should be putting on a bottle of water. It does nothing to educate customers on the uniqueness of the product. The text is not engaging, the vocabulary is very unusual.

A lesson we draw from this is that marketers must have every element of the marketing mix (pricing included) tested with the target audience.

Brand managers must not try to create brands they love, but create brands that consumers can come to love.

Ritu and Venkat

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