PRE-SUMMIT MEET DISCUSSION

BRANDING THE TIGER – CREATING A VALUE PROPOSITION

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR DEMAND REDUCTION IN KEY SEGMENTS

- Feedback mechanism- Indicators of performance

INFORMATION SOURCES: THE PUBLICIS RIGOUR

Broad, S. and R. Damania. 2009. Competing demands: Understanding and addressing the socio-economic forces that work for and against tiger conservation. Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop Paper Secondary research (online reports, news stories, papers)

Scanned popular culture for trends

Excerpts and conversations on blogs and discussion forums

Information sources like FACTIVA, WARC etc.

Publicis knowledge base (learning from other brands about consumer motivations)

Brainstorms and ideations groups

Secondary data from articles, popular websites, news reports, magazines

BRANDING THE TIGER

Brand promise: What it offers? Why is it relevant in the consumer’s life?

CONVERSATION MAPPING

CATEGORYCULTURECONSUMERBRAND

CATEGORY CONVERSATIONS:

Shift in conversation from a one sided communication to participation led activity that involves the consumer

Charities are fun activity…not an effort

True concern for tiger is only in niches (conservationists, sympathisers)

Mass inclination is towards social issues (they perceive) that directly concern them: climate change, personal security, health related etc.

CONVERSATION MAPPING

CONSUMER/PUBLIC

CONVERSATION MAPPING

BRAND (?)

No single minded brand value

At best sympathy for a beautiful animalAt worst apathy, fear or a greed for possession

If the survival of the tiger is a societal choice, then the tiger has to be part of the conversation in the society

It has to capture the imagination of the larger public, not unlike how a brand image is created around a product

The best example to explain this is a tourism brand created out of a destination or landscape

All great brands worked because they had a strong POV that people bought into

Nike : ‘every body is an athlete’

Coke: ‘open happiness’

Apple: ‘Think different’

Lakme: ‘Beautiful women stand in shorter queues’

What is the POV the tiger can own that is relevant to the public ?

The tiger is not just a beautiful charismatic animal

It is an indicator species

Which means if the tiger disappears, animals below in the food chain disappear, the forest disappears, along with it the water table, and the rivers

This results in great imbalance like droughts, floods, soil erosion, erratic rains, temperature imbalance and climate change

We cannot choose to not save the tiger…if the tiger goes we go….simple.

An undeniable conclusion

False

True

Yes NoSIGNIFICANT ACTION TAKEN

SERIOUSNESS OF THREAT TO BIODIVERSITY WITH LOSS OF TIGER POPULATION & HABITAT

•Unnecessary efforts, no change

No worries from imbalance in biodiversity at least

PROACTIVE BENEFITS

•Money spent wisely

•Safer nation

•Planned sustainable growth

•Risk management in place

•Healthy biodiversity

•Better world

CATASTROPHES- Economic is just one

•Environmental – floods, quakes, storms, water shortage, disasters

•Social – migration

•Health & diseases

•Political

•Economic- crop failure, tourism, lack of foreign investment

EXERCISE YOUR CHOICE AND BE PROACTIVE NOT REACTIVE

Which is the most Which is the most acceptable risk?acceptable risk?

BRAND TIGER POVBRAND TIGER POV

IF I SURVIVE, YOU SURVIVEIF I SURVIVE, YOU SURVIVESurvive Survive water water

shortageshortageSurvive Survive

droughtsdroughts Survive Survive floodingflooding

Survive Survive food food

shortageshortage

Survive Survive climate climate changechange

Brand imageBrand identityValue proposition

Consumer conflictConsume insight

Brand building programs

Building deep relationshipsFuctional benefitsEmotional benefits

Self expressive benefits

David a. Aaker model

DRIVING IDEA DRIVING IDEA

‘‘I SURVIVE YOU SURVIVE’I SURVIVE YOU SURVIVE’

We have to take this message and influence every person’s lifeMultiple stories in multiple pocketsA continuous effort

BRAND TIGER POVIF I SURVIVE, YOU SURVIVESurvive water shortageSurvive droughtsSurvive floodingSurvive food shortageSurvive climate change

Children

Governments

Future forecasters (economists, experts)

NGO’s

Corporate

Media

Grassroots

Older public

What can we do?

Build itSustain itRe-ignite it

How do we do it?Light it in multiple places so that its galvanised into a larger movement almost like a carpet bombing strategy that targets different sectors and gets higher response

How do we get corporates involved?

If you bring the ‘people’…they will come

I survive I survive You surviveYou survive

The big launch

Idea 1.GRANT ME A WISH: LETTERS FORM CHILDREN TO ADULTSThe local NGO associated with the GTI will approach schools and show films on tiger conservation and their role in our life. Children will then be asked to write letters to their parents to save the tigers and why they deserve to inherit a planet that is safe. The only way the wish gets through is if the parent or adult accompanying the kids signs a petition on ground or clicks the website that says ‘i survive you survive’. Kids who send their written/online wish will receive a certificate and badge.

These letters will be displayed in public display walls in town centres and malls, websites, through google application, facebook and school boards. This will also be supported with media coverage, celebrity participation, press releases, PR, etc. They should be uploaded onto websites, read in public and on news channels.

These letters should work as an iron fist in a velvet glove and should create a strong impact. Since it is from children, it will sound more heartfelt and compelling, without egos, agendas, or political gain. And will generate a lot of international appeal, a call to action, and obviously a field day for the media.

For any country this would be an opportunity to leverage this activity and strengthen its stand for tiger conservation.

I survive I survive You surviveYou survive

The big launch

Idea 2.GREATEST JOB IN THE WORLD:

The last time Nat Geo channel did this a guy won a job of talking care of an island in the pacific for a whole year!

Can we initiate a similar initiative around the tiger roping in a big channel or corporate?

The winner will get to carry out a tiger census and train for a year as a researcher in a national park (many parks entertain public to participate in the census at the official’s discretion)

Mechanics:People will have to write why they qualify for this job. They will have to get support and votes from friends family, strangers based on their write up and video upload on youtube.

Voters will have to write a testimonial on why their candidate deserves to win.

On winning this job, he will have to do a video diary/blog that people can watch (or in absence of connectivity in longer intervals)

This entire series can be made into a program, year on year.

THIS WILL DEFINITELY ATTRACT CORPORATES AND OTHER INTERESTED BODIES TO ADVERTISE AND BE PRESENT

ROLE OF VARIOUS MEDIA

AUDIO VISUAL (television, cinema, internet)

PRESS (newspaper, magazines, books, )

RADIO

OUTDOOR (hoardings/posters/signposts)

ONLINE (social media, virals, email campaigns)

ON GROUND (leaflets/cards)

AUDIO VISUAL: Audio visual media can explain the stories in length. It can involve the audience anddeliver a lifelike communication

NEWS: anything that comes from a news channel is credible. Being present here definitely pulls up the concern for tiger to top of mind

TELEVISION ADS: the lowest common denominator…largest reach with singular message, people are hooked to the TV watching soaps, news, games etc…can we be present in this space and not only on Discovery and Animal Planet?

FILMS: 2 hours of escapism …what stories can we tell them here that they will want to listen to, is mainstream, entertaining yet makes an impact?

ANIMATION: cults begin early…Popeye, bal Hanuman, Shin Chan, can we recruit them young?

INTERNET : Why do people watch youtube? Because its real mostly and people are voyeuristic…can we constantly upload interesting stories around tigers, conservationist –from cute to concern?

PRESS: Allows the person the leisure to read…

Focused thought (I survive you survive) related communication as ads

PR plants: Get business experts and economists to include this thought (I survive you survive) in their articles

RADIOCheapest, highest reach in most countries

Get the RJ to own the tiger – create a show around itAssociate with music showsPlace ads

OUTDOOR:Static medium however its very nature ensures repeat messaging at same cost

Poster campaigns

ONGROUND: With guidance from wildlife experts people should have an opportunity to interact with the tiger (many orphaned cubs that are in care)

Get children and adults to a well prepared area where they can read information, take photographs with the cub and pledge their allegiance

The photos can have a framed message of ‘together we survive’.An experience like this is unforgettable to a common man who mostly has an impression of the ferocity of this animal.

ACTIVITY JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

LAUNCHONLINE

TV

MEDIA PR

DEMAND REDN PSA

CINEMA

PR

RADIO

PRESS

ONLINE

ONGROUND

COMMUMNICATION STRATEGIESFOR DEMAND REDUCTION IN SPECIFIC SEGMENTS

DEMAND REDUCTION BY IDENTIFYING KEY SEGMENTS

Consumers of tiger parts (medicines and tonics)

Buyers of curios (tiger skin and other parts)

COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVE: To change attitudes toward consumption of tiger parts among the consumer segments involved by understanding motivations and patterns

CONSUMERS OF TONICS & FOLK REMEDIES WITH TIGER PARTS:

PRIMARY AUDIENCE: This audience is primarily driven by the desire to buy virility and health in the form of medicines and tonic containing tiger parts.

The creative bulls-eye audience is a 35-50+year old, typically the age when affluence sets in and so does some form of mid life crisis.

Crisis or not this, is a stage when some people buy a 500cc motorbike that they coveted in their 20s and some others buy virility and health in the form of medicines with tiger parts.

OUR TASK HERE IS TO DEMYSTIFY THE TIGER TO THIS AUDIENCE.

And to communicate that there is no mythic powers in tiger parts.

We have to do this communication with the help of endorsements and testimonials from respected practitioners of traditional medicine because these individuals will have a great deal of credibility among the public.

If possible, a word-of-mouth or viral rumor campaign about how consuming tiger parts could actually decrease virility and health (done covertly using the same channels that propagated the benefits of tiger parts) is an option.

SECONDARY AUDIENCE: Over and above this, we should have a communication aimed at the population at large to increase awareness and be part of the larger ‘BRANDING THE TIGER’ activity.

BUYERS OF SKINS (FOR DISPLAY AND GARMENTS) AND CURIOS:

PRIMARY AUDIENCE: If status drives this consumer to buy skins and curios, then we have to provide an equally strong motivation against this illegal trade.

A “feel-good” emotional campaign about the plight of tigers might not be effective. Communication has to aim at the ‘status’ of this consumer.

WHAT CAN WE SAY?Possession of ‘illegal’ products can still be considered a status symbol due to their uniqueness, but possession of ‘criminally convicting’ products can be seen as negative for their status.

For example, in Mumbai (India) drinking and driving was always illegal, but this law was not strongly enforced and many people violated it. But the day the police started action and people started getting arrested, it changed the public attitude and response to this behavior. So much so, that a new business that provides a valet or driver for those who party and drink hard has successfully developed around most pubs and clubs.

The communication must create a negative perception of people who possess these parts, similar to possessing drugs or firearms.

It has to be reinforced that possession of skins or tiger part curios is an equally serious criminal activity, and not just the seller but even the buyer will be persecuted with imprisonment.

These communication messages have to be present in all public places where there is intelligence information about consumption, including airports, trains/buses and stations, large market places and market hubs and local malls and shopping centers.

This can be done inexpensively and effectively with a poster/outdoor campaign, leaflets, sign boards, and the like. But, it must be backed with action like regular and random checks by police (of suspicious consumers) in the public space to re-enforce the seriousness of intent.

While it might still not deter some offenders, it will definitely communicate the criminal nature of this activity and get the larger audience of generally law-abiding citizens to avoid it.

SECONDARY AUDIENCE: Over and above this, there should be a communication aimed at the population at large to increase awareness and be part of the larger ‘BRANDING THE TIGER’ activity

FEEDBACK/MONITORING MECHANISMFeedback on the communication can be obtained by monitoring studies that research agencies, such as like AC Nielsen, conduct for regular brands to assess change in attitudes and buying behaviour.

A research agency can be requested to provide reports as often as quarterly to align and evaluate the communications effort. The research plan can be flexible to include and exclude information.

KEY INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE OF COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES: Awareness of the issue among the mass public

Negative publicity for tiger part consumption

Increased public pressure on authorities to take action