Arrogance unlimited

Is it the fact that a large chunk of employees of government organizations hate serving people, or is it that they really hate working? Is it that they have a bad rapport with their boss, or is that they are paid very less? Is it hatred towards consumers, or is it plain arrogance?... There could be numerous questions that could be added on to get more inquisitive about a government or nationalised employee’s reason to be serving consumers the way he/she does. 

Ironically it is the consumer at a government office who needs to be polite, needs to wait, needs to pay more (bribe) for a particular service and even worse gets told off for questioning about a particular product. I only wonder the fate of the same set of employees if they served in private organizations. Employees who constantly act as an interface to consumers are considered one of the most important touch points for an organization, and any wrong doing on their part would affect its (company’s) reputation. Disciplining such employees is a major step that needs to be taken by the government, for if the same scenario continues, there would be hell to pay as consumers would start finding simpler and better ways to gratify their needs.

Muslim Rage and Christian Arrogance: A Time for Reason, Repentance and Dialogue.

Children - Floating Signifiers of advertising

It is essential for us marketers to understand the phrase or concept termed ‘Signifier’ with respect to marketing communication. ‘When an object or image is shown in a particular context in order to refer to some underlying meaning, it is a signifier of that meaning’. For instance, the use of Yuvraj Singh in marketing communiqués may signify the meaning of style, performance, etc. Marketers need to be vigilant while strategically placing these signifiers within the framework of a particular advertisement, through which they would be able to transfer meaning from the signifier to the product being communicated.

The focus of this post is on children being portrayed as floating signifiers. Commercials featuring children attempt to convey different sets of emotions and meaning which the kid being showcased in the Ad is intended to represent. These kids are expected to prompt a certain feeling or concept which has been tapped pretty well by most marketers. The most relevant feeling or emotion of the audience (target market) that a child can often tap is the cute, heart-warming attraction towards himself/herself and in turn towards the product being advertised. Children are also used in advertisements as referents to the future, purity and innocence, responsibility, chaos and fun. Check ads of Airtel and Vodafone that have been victorious in winning consumers’ attention. Having said this, it is an uphill task or an impossible one for marketers to appeal to audiences’ other emotions which could be - sense of identity with the endorser, confidence in the endorser, etc considered very vital in creating an unforgettable brand

However, it needs to be made clear that a child to become a regular brand endorser is difficult as the audiences tend to negate repetition, hence lowering brand recall and awareness. Children are better of being used as brand faces than being employed as brand ambassadors.

And remember everything depends on the context (product being advertised, target audience, brand positioning, etc.)!!