The Race for Multipliers

The race for Multipliers

Suddenly there is competition in the air. You will ask, where is it not? True. But this time the competition I am talking about is in the air waves – television frequency.

In the past two weeks I have seen commercials of brands that are betting their efficacy and delivery on the multipliers. Suddenly brands seem to have realized that it more effective to have multipliers in their brand advertisements.

What are multipliers? When a consumer brand says that it is more effective and delivers better results because it is “X” times more than normal or average, that is what I call multiplier brand communications. The best part is that I have discovered this phenomena across consumer product categories. What is the reason behind using multipliers? Is it really effective? Do shoppers/consumers even consider such parameters when making the buying decision? Is 5X or 3X the new brand mantra?

I still have not figured out, but have some bells ringing to corroborate my pov.

I will go a little back in time. The days when acronyms used to be the strategy for most products and brands communication.  The more undecipherable the term, the more impactful it seemed to be.

Mortein’s MMR technology is the first that hits my brain. What made someone think that MMR technology on the front of pack of Mortein coils would persuade the housewife to buy? Was it used with the intent to promote Mortein as a qualified repellent or use MMR as a bait to catch fish? When a mosquito bites, it bites and it hurts. Who cares what is the Mosquito Mortality Rate?

Similarly ZPTO technology in shampoo’s and other similar acronyms were being thrown left right and centre to the shoppers for beautiful hair. Water purifiers had RO Technology the way cars had MPFI. Nothing was new in it, just that the mass was averse to such acronyms, and then one day marketers realized that if there is nothing new to say, lets confuse and leave at that. Those who will be interested will anyways find out. Phew!!

After many many years, suddenly the same era seems to have come back, just that it is now playing with numbers. Maybe because everywhere we are talking about numbers and money, honey. Inflation, bankruptcy, downgrade, sensex, crisis, taxes, evasion, swiss accounts etc or maybe we don’t need to be literate enough to read up to 5. The marketers as a result never go beyond 5 for their multipliers. Assuming that anybody no matter what the educational background, would know how to read 1,2,3,4,5.

From toilet cleaners to hair oils, hand wash to fabric wash, cereals to beverage, batteries to paints, medicines to deo sprays, water purifiers to ceiling fans; they all seem to be influenced by the multiplier and are leaving nothing behind. Except that the consumer is left behind wondering how to measure the multiplier and against what.

Is this any trend? Is this communication tragedy or shorthand of communication? When there is nothing else to differentiate, use the number game, something we all are scared to face in real life. What rank did you get in school, what is your railway ticket waiting list number, what is your height, how old are you? Many consider Maths as a subject of the genius, while others ignore Maths to remain genius. Such could be the plight of housewives or shoppers when they come across such multipliers. It is better to ignore it than to get into the equation. If they say so, it must be so? Is they say 5X, it must be at least 3X. Thik hi hoga!!

But why all of a sudden almost every brand is looking for multipliers as a brand qualifier.

What is the psychological inference of such influences on Indian minds?

Bollywood or any Hollywood movie is best judged by the number of stars it carries after Friday release. Some people decide on the basis of stars given by critics/ reviewers, if they will want to watch the movie or not. Some decide on the basis of the crowd outside the theatre, where the reality is.

Insurance products in India are sold on the basis of numbers. It starts from the age, a number, which will decide how much can you be insured for. The insured amount is a multiplier of the premium. Basically, only the agent will know the maths behind the chart and tables that will have your age shown declining with increments in premium amount.        

In India, banks are one of the most advertised products along with food and personal care. Every day you will notice that some financial body has decreased or increased CRR/LRR/MRR and so many other types of RR’s. What a Tizzy man!!

Doctors in India are considered as one of the most learned species. The way they write, their handwriting, is only emblematic of how learned and wise they are. Have this tab OD, BD or TD for a specific time or a life time, as you may survive.

Telecom is not any more hush hush. Both inside and outside, it is the talk. What they keep yelling and shouting, talk talk as you much. From 2G to 3G, broadband + to +++, from per minute to per second; the fight for that perfect number will always remain.

Indian house runs on maids and not salary anymore. The only profession/occupation which has even the mightiest of the mightiest, physically or financially, bend down on the knees in front of them. Every task is associated with a currency number. The more times the visit, an exponential number you will have to shell out.

My formula though is simple. If anyone gets into a multiplier, use the same quotient to erase it from the memory.

A quote I would love to share with my friends – It is so simple to be happy, but so difficult to be simple.

So, be SIMPLE!