What is Generation C
After reading my yesterday article, few friends asking me, “what is generation C ?”, And it expand to: how many generations we have, Are they any generation A, B or X? and so on and so on…
Unlike other generation segment, this generation C is actually stand for “Content”. Content that they created and generated by them self, adding billion-peta bytes of text, images, audio and video on an ongoing basis.
Call me generation “C”
A Beautiful write up summarizing what generation “C” means and up to, by my Colleague Kikie Randini
Call me Generation C. The Connected Collective.
I socialise. I share. I swarm.
Give me contact. Social media. Life sharing. Lifestreaming. Show me your Facebook. Google it. Myspace me.
Give me conversation. Something to talk about. Something to give my friends something to talk about. Give me social status.
Sara lee Will Close Indonesian Business
This news is already in circulation since early November 2009 that Sara Lee is letting go his non food business. Since they have no food business in Indonesia, Sara Lee effectively packing their bag and leave from Indonesia market.
Here is what I know who buying their business in Indonesia (and regional as well)
- Unilever bought entire personal care division for US$ 1.9 billion in cash. The strong brand in Indonesia is Sanex for liquid soap and deodorant, while other brand Radox is not really have presence in here.
- They also have “Sara Lee” brands for personal care which I think together with Switzal and Purol, will be part of the deal with Unilever.
- P&G bought their air freshener brand called Ambipur for US$ 470 Million.
- But who is buying Kiwi, the true and tested shoe polish… ( I heard that kiwi is also used to polish wooden craft somewhere in Central Java). Can’t find the information anywhere else, if you know who is buying it, please put it in comment section.
I do not believe that Unilever will keep Sanex brands in Indonesia, they have many of their own brand already for liquid soap and deodorant. I am sure they will kill the brand or simply milk it.
while Switzal, purol and (especially) Ambipur may see a better future as the purchaser do not have the category, I expect there will be a heavy support on this brands. once the dust is settled down.
So… Good Bye Sara Lee…
Brand new noodle : Indosedap? :)
I was having wild thought…
Indomie is a great brand in instant noodle, and so is Mie Sedaap, why not combine it together…? It will be easier for the consumers as most of them know these two brands right…?
To my disbelieve, someone else is actually thinking exactly the same, and they come up with this product…
look at the cue, The word “mie Goreng” its using Indomie font, the upper right is Indomie ribbon, at the bottom there is Mie Sedap word using Mie Sedaap font (small word kriyuk-kriyuk added). The actual brand is actually Spix and it is a snack noodle not instant noodle.
And who come up with the idea…? some one from PT. Siantar Top is… but.. Shame on you Sir or Mam…!
- because you stole my idea
- Is that the best you can do..?
- You should call it Indosedaap..!
just Kidding.. 
Indonesia Socio Economic Status 2010
There are a lot of controversy in this SES (Socio Economic Status) profiling by Nielsen Indonesia. Some suggest other alternative, some are conveniently using it , some use it like there is no alternatives and few are hate it to the bone.
Before you read further… I remind you that this is my personal views not in anyway trying to be a spoke person of Nielsen or anybody else.
If its too rational, it doesnt make sense
When discussing result study on advertising, most of the time we heard consumers complaining that the ad is “un-realistic” or irrational. Some of clients taking it very seriously and wants to change the ad to make it more “realistic” or rational.
Unless it draw very negative feeling among the potential consumers, I will suggest that some “un-realistic” component in the ad can be a good thing. I’d rather focus on whether the ad can communicate the brand clearly, or is the message can be understood, or is the ad unique and not to be confused with other brands.
Make the ad “rational” will potentially make it losing its wow factor, become plain and easily forgettable. An ad should tell the story, an enjoyable story telling that is, especially if we want to talk about the image to create emotional appeal.
Consumers will understand, it only an Ad, they want to be entertained and most of their purchase is not based on rational anyway. So if your ad is too rational, it does not make sense even to the eyes of consumers.
One of good example of ad is Gulaku, I love the way they tell story about the humble sugar… very magical… can’t imagine if they are using rational approach… here is the ad.. enjoy..
Are you too advanced?
Being advance is good, but if you are too advance for your consumers, they may not ready to use your product or services.
Few months a go I talked to a start up company that boasting the way our company operated and collecting the data is so last century compare to what they do. Without hesitation I agree, but will it sell?.
Most of our customer are lag further behind, so the “old method” is still work best for them, they familiar with it, and they use it day and night. But I agree, if we do not prepare for the advanced method, we will stuck behind and die. We just have to be inline with the customers needs or wants, in the end of the day, they are the one who paying our salary. Right..?
I genuinely think that their business model is good, so I offer to help them if there is any potential clients.
Hygiene Factor & Motivational factor
Some years a go when consumer asked about why they shop to certain modern retailer, cleanness along with variety of the product are always be the major factor. But not anymore, they now talking more into short queue, discount rate and freshness of the product.
Is it mean that cleanness and variety of the product no longer relevant for the consumers..? Far from it, it now become the hygiene factor to all modern retailer. Something that they expect all modern retailer have. If the modern retailer do not have this aspect, the consumers will feel uncomfortable and most probably will leave the store immediately. However, this hygiene factor will not make the consumer excited about the product or services.
What can make the consumer excited about our product and services? That is called motivational factor. in our case above are discount rate and freshness. If these factor presence in a retailer, it will likely to motivate the consumers to come.
So if a retailer having less visitor, it can be from both factor, however if the consumer come but not really excited about the retailer, it most probably lack of motivational factor. As an analogy : If a modern retailer advertise how clean their stores are… it’s like you are telling your date that you take bath everyday to impress him or her.. not gonna work… and if you not taking a bath at least once a day, she will run a way, I guarantee…
Every product category or services has its own hygiene factor, checking the hygiene factor is recommended every two years or so… Qualitative study will give you the information on what is the Hygiene factor for your product or services and what is the motivational factor.
Think about your company (or company where your are working) now… are they lack of hygiene factor or motivational factor.. or just perfect as it is now… what is the hygiene factor and what is the motivational.
What is brand…?
This is very humble questions but it is anything but humble in explaining it… Shakespeare is also have similar question… “What is in the name” he asked. “Bakso” is still a meatball and has the same taste even if you call it “pisang” right… but why every one is being fussy about it.
Where is it coming from?
The name “brand” it self is originating from the cowboy era… those boys were branding (marking) their cows / cattle by printing some kind of logo using a hot iron. If it mixed with another herd, they still know which one is theirs… we talking about hundreds of cows and thousand acre of grass field here…
The evolution
Back then the meaning of “brand” is so simple, just to differentiate the product (or cows). Still the same now, but more than that… the brand now is so important as it will be the ambassador of the manufacturer talking to the consumers.
A brand is no longer just a name, its also about the color, the logo, the pack, the quality and many thing else… the brand now is actually anything that consumer have in their mind about the product. If I say a name of product like Google, Coca-Cola, TVRI or Nike, you have set of perception about the brand either bad or good. Some brands have a very strong association to the product category, and can not easily extended to other product category. Imagine if a bubble gum named Durex, or a beverage called Baygon, you will think many times before you consume it.. 
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Last but not least, our name is a brand too, and everyone is the brand manager for them self. So how are we going to market our name for future employer, for friends or even for future mother in law..? those are our consumers.
Good luck in marketing the brand “you”
