“Loosing My virginity” is an autobiography by Richard Branson, chairman of ‘virgin group'. This title was choosen over other title like ‘Virgin Group' or something similar to that would have bring a boring & very sober review and attention of readers. It is not that what lies beneath, that is equally important. But first target of any initiative, marketing move should be targeted at capturing the mind space where it matter most in the customer mind. Marketing share initiative has only single target to achieve. Capture mind of customer before capturing the market share.



Marketing more should coerce prospect to ask questions. It is a fight rope to walk, as it has potential danger to confuse prospect. And a confuse prospect is a negative advocate for a brand. It is better not to touch them rather than confuse them. Move should generate curiosity not confusion. Mark H. McCormack called his flagship management book “what They Don't Teach you at Harvard Business school”. A full sentence and a title, just not marriageable match. What would you say of “How you can manage your company” Not Good enough? And you must be sure it would have sold the book only to his Grandpa. Not even to his own managers. But word is Harvard Business School. Every know Harvard business School. What it teaches and the high quality of its graduates and faculty. So what they do not teach. “Let me know it”. And this feeling is the effect of the title. Managers buy book to seek edge. People buy it to learn more. But the concept is just not on Harvard or any business School. It is all about people in your face, manager on their feet in the street battling the never lost, never won battle.

1984, the Super bowl stadium, Apple first introduces it desktop business machine through a $2 million advertisement of 30 second (mind it $2 million was a much bigger amount in 1984 than the $2 million itself.) Its central idea was, executive were sitting in front of a big computer like some pupil of a larger than life saint. And here comes a protagonist, a conformist with a Hammer in Hand and Bang. The master was in titter. His slaves are liberated. They have there own identity, their own world and their own business machine, Macintosh. Slogan states, ‘1984 will no longer be like 1984. “In the History of advertising it was a Moment lived once and never repented again. According to CEO, Apple, John Scholey in his book “the Odesy” people were literally taken a back and swept away with the advertisement. Consequence, the mighty old king, IBM lost the battle in a matter of 30 seconds. 30 seconds which were never seen again, never repeated and yet Macintosh swept the computer geeks as well as business people. No doubt, product was beyond any imagination. But what put it in the mind of clients was its launch. It is always preached, “First impression is the last impression”. If you coerce the prospect to pick up the cradle and call you, Half the battle is won. Your next move is very trivial now. Just satisfy his very straight and simple queries. Sale is made.

Brand manager can argue that shortcut do not work in branding. A short term initiative, like shock marketing will hurt the product in long range. I accept and fully agree with them.

A different school of thought will say No short cut works in branding. A shock marketing and initiative can kill a brand. It will loose the serious marketing and initiative can kill a brand. It will loose the serious no-nonsense prospects and consumers. Right, absolutely right. But let's go deeper into human psychology. All human being is attracted by some unusual objects, events. I am not saying these unusual events/ objects are some vulgar, out of world matters but yes it is not seen before. And that where shock Marketing initiative is done. Now it the products attributes, services qualities, the serious back up to Marketing initiative which will decide the success and conversion rate. Yes! Perception in the mind of consumer is more important and it is built by two steps.

1. Grab the attention.

2. Soothe the boiling Question or confusion.

In this ever contracting world, fast communication and blast of information channels, consumer is the target of attacks. He wants to guard his privacy by ignoring most of marketing initiative. So what matters most is to get him on your product & services and built the lead in conversion by step2. But even brand manager will not object here that the real hit is to get the consumer attention first hand other stuff falls consequencely.

As far as serious, no-nonsense customers are concerned they have and always concentrate on step2. It is close to impossible to get them fancy by step1. But any new marketing initiative will get these loyal customer pick up the cradle and call you. And that's what I call the job of a Marketing initiative, to coerce prospect to get serious on contacting you.

There are very few Marketers who understand and manage the shock marketing well. Richard Branson, chairman, virgin group, is a flagship personality in that. His empire name is itself a rare example of shock marketing. A company who is still virgin for so long. As Branson put it in his book “losing my virginity”. It was decided by his group of girls & boys who were not virgin anymore.

‘And there aren't many virgins left around here,' laughed a girl, It would be nice to have one here in name if none of us. ‘Great', He said, ‘It's Virgin'.

Nobody like virginity, but I like ‘virgin'…..oops virgin Atlantic smile.

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