The Rules of Mallvertising

Was at the Inorbit mall, Malad the other day...Saw one of those increasingly ubiquitous LCD screens - some in-your-face locations, others tucked in corners...

Had some thoughts and observations on the increasingly relevant subject of Mallvertising!

1. Treat them as more electronic hoardings than TVCs.Which means LARGE FONTS, clutter free, very less copy and visually engaging....Lets not forget the LCD screen is nestled in a Mall environ with many more distractions!

2. From WIIFM to WIIFMN. That's What's in it for me NOW? Saw couple of TVCs playing on the LCD screen . Would have preferred to see where the SALE is, which store on which floor has a new range, any contests, promotions, trial offers...
Last mile communication must be about WIIFMNOW...

3. Mute Check. Another test that we could subject our messages to, is to see if they are comprehensible on 'mute'. The Mall has it's own decibel level and the LCD messaging might get lost unless it is 'Mute-Checked'.

4. It may make more sense to model the last mile communication on Cinema Slides.. Focussed, fast and 3-sec long(not 30sec).

5. Think catchment not catch-phrase.Related to points 1 & 2 above.
Slogans, what's the big idea, brand propositions could be suspended at the mall. It's a different buyer mind-set that we are looking at. In a hurry, the mood being part-indulgent-part-VFM.

Although I hate the word - eye-balls, Mallvertising is made more difficult as we are addressing travelling eye-balls! And the last thing people need is some esoteric brand advertising...

As mobile, digital screens, sensors, blue-tooth, RFID technologies develop, I am sure the science of Mallvertising will be more focussed and engaging for the customers...

Trial Room Pitching

For a middle-age, middle class(okay upper middle class) couple week-ends are increasing about 'Mall Crawling'. There in the glitz, glass-facades, you tend to(momentarily)forget the week's hard slog, the guilt of having not spent quality time with your only son and wife.

Malls are middle class/urban India's attempt/short-cut at buying happiness straight off the shelf! It's also an island of 'India Shining'. It helps one forget much of the chaos, drudgery and poverty all around. It filters out butt-brushes with only our kind of people(the right SECs)...

Sorry, I am in a foul mood(for no particular reason). Forgive me, Christmas is a time for merrymaking and stuff like that! Over to my planner/ marketer/ the world-as-a-commercial-ship mode:-)

Anyways, the point I was trying to make was that with odd exceptions, I have found most trial rooms to be virginal white and pure - devoid of commercial messages...

This is one place which needn't fret about permission bombarding...The guy is already in a mood to splurge and is trying to lose some wallet-weight. A little nudge ain't all that bad...Yes, I understand we don't want to put too much clutter in the mirror, but still it's worth a try!
Remember, in space-starved Mumbai, this is 4X4 square feet of quiet time(the queue outside notwithstanding)

How about...
1. Diet/ weight loss/ wellness/ fitness companies unfolding their packages while you unzip your pants LOL

2. Grooming salons and makeover plans for the gentleman and ladies?

3. How about perfume sniffing-strips and pitching that Hugo Boss one has been dilly-dallying for much of summer...
4. How about reminding to buy a shirt for your father? Ride on the guilt of buying for oneself alone.

I am generally not in favour of push-in-your-face-marketing but the trial room ain't the sanctum sanctorum and deserves better usage...Maybe, I am not that well-informed. And marketers of different hue have already raided this space. Do share your experience of trial room pitching!!

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