How Companies have used “Time” as communication and selling tool

Every Company tries it’s best to attract and convince consumers to buy their products. Marketing communication plays important role in their endeavor to sell more & more. Most of advertisements uses words like discount, new, now, hurry, more, guaranteed, hassle-free, save, improved, extra, sale, and limited period offer. I am quite sure you might have heard these words umpteen times. These tactics have worked in past and still up to great extent they are working but the problem is that the space is getting cluttered and it drains profitability hence marketers are using innovative ways to attract consumers. As they say “ Necessity is mother of Invention”, and the invention is use of “Time”.

Time has become an Unique Selling Proposition ( USP) which has been used by marketing agencies to attract customers. Let’s see few examples where brands have highlighted USP of  “Time” to sell more.

Food products :

Whenever we are hungry, we wants something quickly therefore looking at this aspect, companies like Nestle Maggi has kept name of their noodle brand as “Maggi 2 Minute Noodles" and their advertisement has central theme of 2 minutes preparation time similarly, Act II Popcorn highlights in their advertisement that within minutes you can have Popcorn in your hand. People wants Instant gratification and thus brands are offering quick and convenient solution. Dominos introduced the “30 minutes delivery guarantee or it’s free” campaign in 1979 in the United States. This was a huge success leading to exponential growth of Dominos . The Dominos stores grew from 200 stores in 1978 to 5,000 by 1989. Speedy delivery marketing has helped Dominos immensely.

Automobile :

Car companies like Mercedes-Benz and Toyota have started a 1 hour express car service facility which of course customer appreciates . Now a days, Car dealerships ensure within 45 minutes new car delivery. Earlier it used to take 3-4 hours ( finance paperwork, pre-delivery inspection, insurance and feature explanations etc) therefore it was common just a decade back to take half day leave for taking car delivery but now things have changed, not only faster delivery but home delivery is being offered.

Electric car battery manufacturer QuantumScape claims that their technology can charge an Electric car upto 80% in just 15 minutes.  Supercar companies focusing on 0-100 kmph in less than 5 seconds in their communications. Maruti Suzuki highlighted in some of their PR activities that claimed 1 car production after every 16 seconds.

There is popular saying “Time is Money” hence car companies efforts of speedy delivery helps them to sell their products.

Aggregators:

Amazon's Same Day delivery promise has gained a lot of attention. In fact in some parts of the US, Amazon is committing to 2 hours delivery. Taxi aggregators like Ola and Uber not only tells you how much time it would take for nearest taxi to reach you but also how much time it would take to reach destination. Consumers appreciate speedy delivery and transparency.

 FMCG :

I am sure, we all have used ENO, most striking part with this antacid is that it claims that it works in just 6 seconds. It works or not in 6 seconds is secondary but the brand imaging has taken the mindspace and we all take it as immediate solution to acidity.  Lifebuoy liquid soap advertisement says “ Bunty tera saabun slow hai kya” ? wash only for 10 seconds to kill germs is the theme of Lifebuoy liquid soap. If I have to choose an extreme case, then I will pick fairness cream advertisement. Their audacity in claiming results within weeks is unparalleled and few are brave enough to include the shade card with their package. Interesting isnt it ?

Banking :

Muthoot advertises  “Get loan again gold in just 5 minutes”. HDFC ATMs are offering a pre-set withdrawal amount and this makes a 40% faster withdrawal process. Many of banks are offering personal loan in just 30 minutes. Most of such banks have slightly higher rate of interest but it’s the speed and convenience which negates disadvantage of higher rate of interest.

One interesting thing I observed that even some of low trust fields also you use time as USP.

You might have come across advertisements where weight loss programs advertise “lose 10 kg in just 15 day”, Real estate companies claim apartment handovers within a stipulated time frame. Politicians claim development in 5 year tenure,.  Though it may sound utopian, the time bound promises stokes enthusiasm which in turn brings votes.

Airlines harp upon their on-time arrival record. Indigo used it as one of its prominent selling points. LinkedIn and similar Apps tells how many minutes it would take to read article, thus giving advance warning to save your time. All these helps consumers to plan their time in better way.

In above all examples you might notice that things are time bound, quicker and easy which we all consumers love.

There are many examples where brands use “Time” to enhance their brand imagery. Let’s figure out how.

Few years ago, Times of India celebrated 175 years of existence. Same way Dabur and many Indian bank highlight “100 warshon ka bharosa”. Such communication instill confidence among consumers.  India gate Basmati rice  advertise “2 saal tak age kiya hua” hence it’s premium, E-commerce, Insurance and used car brands are giving 7-30 days to return the purchase if not satisfied thus convince and trust offered.

Voltas Beko Refrigerator highlights that their refrigerator keeps vegetables fresh for 1 month. Mosquito repellent and dish wash gel companies claim that their product lasts for over 45 days thus communicating their advance technology.

I hope you might have realised how companies have differentiated themselves from cluttered marketing communication of discount focused on convenience and trust by working on processes to improve faster delivery. These companies have successfully integrated USP of “Time’ in their marketing to get maximum mileage.

Now the big question, are you or your company using the “Time” as selling tool.  If not, it’s high time to do so.

All the best!

( Thanks to my younger brother Vinod Tripathi for suggesting changes and editing the blog)

Unimaginable Societal behavior once are now reality

World has seen changes overtime, few changes were gradual whereas few others were radical. But change is a constant which we keep seeing around us.

It is intriguing to see the certain things at time marked as radical or a taboo has turned mainstream now. Our behavioral changes has led to lot of unimaginable things turned into reality. Let me share some examples.

1. Denim Jeans : In early 1870s Jacob W. Davis and Levi Strauss patented Jeans. Jeans has its origin in mines where miners needed a rugged clothing to sustain the rigors of their work. That point of time it was laughable to think of jeans would be fashionable and wearable of rich people but down the line 100 years, it’s one of the most worn and accepted cloth. It is worn with pride by not only a miner but business tycoons of today.

2. SUVs : Sports Utility Vehicles are vehicles which are usually having higher ground clearance and boxy design. SUVs were meant for rough roads and it gained popularity among masses who lived far in the country side where paved roads were nearly absent. A downside of SUVs was its uncomfortable ride but as a matter of fact SUVs were not meant for luxury and comfort, practicality was the main focus. Just before World war 2, SUVs started gaining popularity in Military due to its rugged appeal. Thanks to refined engine, better suspension and space, things have changed now, every second car sold in United States in a SUV. All luxury car companies are competing to launch luxury SUVs as faster as they can.

3. News Anchor : News reader/ New Presenter or News Anchor’s are supposed to share news to viewers without any bias and let viewers make opinion. This was the norm or trend for many decades. It was unimaginable 20 years back that news anchor would put forward their personal opinion and scream through their lungs. Fast forward in 2021, 24 hours news channels have become a drama house with Anchors being the entertainers. It is not uncommon to see a news anchors are taking sides and speaking at top of their voice. It seems people are liking this kind of drama and it has all become a game of TRP, real news has taken a back seat and journalism is turning in its grave.

4. Food Truck : Concept of food truck flourished in United States in later 1800s as a mobile restaurant for the construction workers. Reasonable cost and speedy delivery were the USP of food trucks. For a longtime, eating at Food truck was considered “uncool” and probably it was related more with cheap food. But fast forward to now, no more such taboo exist. Restaurants owners who downplayed the reach of food trucks never imagined that food truck would become their competitors one day. Today Food truck market in US has become a 3 billion dollar business. Its popularity has such inroads among masses that many restaurant associations are requesting Govt to control Food trucks. In Chicago, a regulation prevents food trucks from selling food within 200 feet of brick-and-mortar restaurants. Food truck has come long way.

5. Cricket : Only few outdoor sports are played with trousers. Cricket is one of them. Cricket was originally played in early 1800s by British aristocrats known for their superiority in social hierarchy. These aristocrats were also called 'Gentlemen' and thus cricket earned its title as the Gentlemen's' Game. Imagine a game having drinks break, lunch break and post afternoon a relaxing tea break before end of the days game. A game played in plush white clothes has now become sports of masses. Though it is still restricted within erstwhile British empire but it has certainly travelled a long way. Who would have imagined bodyline bowling, bouncers aimed at heads, players sharing a mouthful of cusswords would become a norm in the game.

It is difficult to mark a change good or bad, probably every change is for good but exceptions are there. 

The purpose behind sharing above examples is to make you believe in behavioral flexibility.  Whenever your friends says that XYX thing won't change as people won't expect it, give him/her above examples.

Nothing is permanent, be ready to embrace a change as it is inevitable whether you like or not.