Five ways Nepalese Entrepreneurs fail at advertising : A Customer's Point of View!

Let me say it clear and cut. I like some Nepalese advertisements and I dislike some. I am entitled to my own opinion but let me say to you this is more of a constructive criticism rather than a rant. Whatever views I express here as satire or humor is for entertainment purpose and suggestions for suggestion purpose . Entertainment provides me my lunch money when you are reading my article that is.

One thing that entrepreneurs and businessman need to understand deeply about us customers is that customer is not always right. If you believe customer is always right then you are going to fail. The reality is customer is a businessman selling his own needs to you in exchange of your goods. That is why be professional and try not ruin a good advertisement by bringing in my all time favorite comic duo as ridiculous people who dress up in National customers and climb the top a under construction building!  They are so scared of falling off the building that we can see the fear in their eyes.

Now getting to the topic. Here is the first reason.

1. Misunderstanding the Product

When is the best time to do a paints ad? Paints equals family and family equals dinner time and that means around dinner that means around 7-9 PM. All right I buy this logic. Paint companies want their advertisements at this time frame. Another fact that every channel in Nepal has some kind of news program in this time frame (there may be few exceptions). So, when we are watching news, paint companies want advertisements then.

This is a Donut!

So, situation is this. I am watching news with my family including grandmother, Mom, Dad, Uncle, Aunt, sister, cousins and so on. So, at this time I see a semi-nude woman in the paints advertisement. AWKWARD!

Awkward!

I don't know about your opinion but in mine families buy paints. When you target families at least understand that a family makes decision together and when family is together they don't talk about sex or sexual annotations in regard of paints (trust me I know!). So, my advice for ad experts is understand the product before jumping into starring your favorite Kollywood heroine in the ad.

2.Misunderstanding human psychology

Advertisements tend to exploit human emotions. We all love when a cute girl says "Dad, don't die!" and Dad says I won't because I have been drinking Redbull and it gives me wings to fly out of battlefield. Yeah, we love the drama, tears, jokes, wit and humor. But sometimes the advertisement agencies try and add too much of emotion which seems off putting.

Because getting kicked in nuts is private and I can't share it!

Recently there was an advertisement about a newspaper where the kid is like Jesus of Nepal or let me go to a current term of Facebook Buddha follower; he is like Buddha. When strikers do strike with fire, he lights fire for an old man, when they paint walls in slogans he paints the bird home with the paint. All in all the kid is Harrison Ford. The tag line is "read our newspaper and be like the kid".

This Kid is blunt!

Really? Where in the world does a 9 year old kid read a Nepali national daily? Even if he does, where does he learn the positive things when most of the news is negative around? I am not saying it is impossible but it is unlikely. People do not connect to these things and that fails the whole premise. So, yeah connecting People! While we are on connecting people...

3.Stars means anything is possible 

Okay! Premise is the greatest actor/hero branded by public (of Nepal) is in an advertisement for a cement factory. He says that his house will sustain for years to come and he is sure for it. His tag line is "it lasts for generations". The advertisement ends with him getting in a car in authentic national dress. The best part is that even at such an age he is so damn Handsome!

I am a Bachelor! Deal with it!

Lasts for generation? He is not even married. Who is he building his house for? The neighbors? The relevancy in the whole advertisement dictates the actor wants the house to last for generations and that is supposed to relate to a common man. Let me ask you this, he isn't a family man and how is a common family man able to relate to the actor?

Guess who owns the sun?

This thing is so trivial that it destroys intelligence if we look at it. Advertisements are supposed to relate and convince people. The stars should be cast accordingly. This is as same as casting that kid from slum dog millionaire in a movie about Lincoln. That is plain ridiculous. The premise should be relevant.

4.Animation is selling

Out of the blue a plane is crashing. Then there is a man eating a noodles and suddenly he sees the plane coming his way. He leaves the table jumps high and fixes the plane with his all mighty muscles. At the end we find that his secret superpower is the noodles he was eating. Happy Ending!

This is an example.

There isn't an ad like this but if there was then it would have similar terms. This is how they believe we buy their product. The key is that this ad will be animated so kids will buy. Ok I buy that premise but really, a man eating noodles saves a plane? At least he should change to his superhero outfit because  that is what superheroes do. A kid doesn't believe a superhero until he wears his underpants outside.

He has no underpants. My whole life is a lie!

This is the exact thing that is wrong with ads these days. Animation is not the key to everything. It attracts but the thing to sell should be your product and it's richness not the glamour. If it is animation then I bet a certain movie called RA.One would have been epic!

5.Nothing beats cheesy Names!

This is more of an analysis of how people advertise in hoarding boards and newspapers. Really a logo and name of a football club would make your school better? Would the name of a social network site be good for a restaurant?

Maybe I can buy panipooris there!

Names should relate to people. If I am in a restaurant I would expect something restaurant like, not named Hrithik Roshan Hotel! So Yeah names should be relevant.


That is my TOP 5. What is yours? Do you agree or disagree? Did you like it or not? Reply in the comment in the page.