PRE-SUMMIT MEET DISCUSSION
BRANDING THE TIGER – CREATING A VALUE PROPOSITION
COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR DEMAND REDUCTION IN KEY SEGMENTS
- Feedback mechanism
- Indicators of performance
INFORMATION SOURCES: THE PUBLICIS RIGOUR
Broad, S. and R. Damania. 2009. Competing demands: Understanding and addressing the socio-economic
forces that work for and against tiger conservation. Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop Paper
Secondary research (online reports, news stories, papers)
Scanned popular culture for trends
Excerpts and conversations on blogs and discussion forums
Information sources like FACTIVA, WARC etc.
Publicis knowledge base (learning from other brands about consumer motivations)
Brainstorms and ideations groups
Secondary data from articles, popular websites, news reports, magazines
BRANDING THE TIGER
Brand promise:
What it offers? Why is it relevant in the consumer’s life?
CONVERSATION MAPPING
CATEGORY
CULTURE
CONSUMER
BRAND
CATEGORY CONVERSATIONS:
Shift in conversation from a one sided communication to
participation led activity that involves the consumer
 Charities are fun activity…not an effort
CONVERSATION MAPPING
CONSUMER/PUBLIC
 True concern for tiger is only in niches (conservationists, sympathisers)
 Mass inclination is towards social issues (they perceive) that directly
concern them: climate change, personal security, health related etc.
CONVERSATION MAPPING
BRAND (?)
No single minded brand value
At best sympathy for a beautiful animal
At worst apathy, fear or a greed for possession
If the survival of the tiger is a societal choice, then the
tiger has to be part of the conversation in the society
It has to capture the imagination of the larger public, not unlike how a
brand image is created around a product
The best example to explain this is a tourism brand created out of a destination or landscape
All great brands worked because they had a strong POV that people
bought into
Nike : ‘every body is an athlete’
Coke: ‘open happiness’
Apple: ‘Think different’
Lakme: ‘Beautiful women stand in shorter queues’
What is the POV the tiger can own that is
relevant to the public ?
The tiger is not just a beautiful charismatic animal
It is an indicator
species
Which means if the tiger disappears, animals below in the food chain
disappear, the forest disappears, along with it the water table, and the rivers
This results in great imbalance like droughts, floods, soil erosion, erratic
rains, temperature imbalance and climate change
We cannot choose to not save the tiger…if the tiger goes we go….simple.
An undeniable conclusion
SIGNIFICANT ACTION TAKEN
Yes
False
SERIOUSNESS OF
THREAT TO
BIODIVERSITY
WITH LOSS OF
TIGER
POPULATION &
HABITAT
True
•Unnecessary efforts, no
change
No worries from imbalance in
biodiversity at least
PROACTIVE BENEFITS
CATASTROPHES- Economic is just one
•Money spent wisely
•Environmental – floods, quakes,
storms, water shortage, disasters
•Safer nation
•Planned sustainable growth
•Risk management in place
Which is the most
acceptable risk?
No
•Healthy biodiversity
•Better world
•Social – migration
•Health & diseases
•Political
•Economic- crop failure, tourism,
lack of foreign investment
EXERCISE YOUR CHOICE AND BE PROACTIVE
NOT REACTIVE
BRAND TIGER POV
IF I SURVIVE, YOU SURVIVE
Survive
water
shortage
Survive
droughts
Survive
flooding
Survive
food
shortage
Survive
climate
change
Brand image
Brand identity
Value proposition
DRIVING IDEA
‘I SURVIVE YOU SURVIVE’
Consumer conflict
Consume insight
Brand building programs
Building deep relationships
Fuctional benefits
Emotional benefits
Self expressive benefits
David a. Aaker model
We have to take this message and influence every person’s life
Multiple stories in multiple pockets
A continuous effort
BRAND TIGER POV
IF I SURVIVE, YOU SURVIVE
Survive water shortage
Survive droughts
Survive flooding
Survive food shortage
Survive climate change
Children
Older public
Governments
Future forecasters (economists, experts)
NGO’s
Corporate
Media
Grassroots
What can we do?
Build it
Sustain it
Re-ignite it
How do we do it?
Light it in multiple places so that its galvanised into a larger movement
almost like a carpet bombing strategy that targets different sectors and gets
higher response
How do we get corporates involved?
If you bring the ‘people’…they will come
Idea 1.
I survive
You survive
GRANT ME A WISH: LETTERS FORM CHILDREN TO ADULTS
The local NGO associated with the GTI will approach schools and show films on tiger
conservation and their role in our life. Children will then be asked to write letters to their
parents to save the tigers and why they deserve to inherit a planet that is safe.
The big launch
The only way the wish gets through is if the parent or adult accompanying the kids signs
a petition on ground or clicks the website that says ‘i survive you survive’. Kids who send
their written/online wish will receive a certificate and badge.
These letters will be displayed in public display walls in town centres and malls, websites,
through google application, facebook and school boards. This will also be supported
with media coverage, celebrity participation, press releases, PR, etc.
They should be uploaded onto websites, read in public and on news channels.
These letters should work as an iron fist in a velvet glove and should create a strong
impact. Since it is from children, it will sound more heartfelt and compelling, without
egos, agendas, or political gain. And will generate a lot of international appeal, a call to
action, and obviously a field day for the media.
For any country this would be an opportunity to leverage this activity and strengthen
its stand for tiger conservation.
Idea 2.
I survive
You survive
GREATEST JOB IN THE WORLD:
The last time Nat Geo channel did this a guy won a job of talking care of an island in the
pacific for a whole year!
Can we initiate a similar initiative around the tiger roping in a big channel or corporate?
The big launch
The winner will get to carry out a tiger census and train for a year as a researcher in a
national park (many parks entertain public to participate in the census at the official’s
discretion)
Mechanics:
People will have to write why they qualify for this job. They will have to get support and
votes from friends family, strangers based on their write up and video upload on
youtube.
Voters will have to write a testimonial on why their candidate deserves to win.
On winning this job, he will have to do a video diary/blog that people can watch (or in
absence of connectivity in longer intervals)
This entire series can be made into a program, year on year.
THIS WILL DEFINITELY ATTRACT CORPORATES AND OTHER INTERESTED BODIES TO
ADVERTISE AND BE PRESENT
ROLE OF VARIOUS MEDIA
AUDIO VISUAL (television, cinema, internet)
PRESS (newspaper, magazines, books, )
RADIO
OUTDOOR (hoardings/posters/signposts)
ONLINE (social media, virals, email campaigns)
ON GROUND (leaflets/cards)
AUDIO VISUAL:
Audio visual media can explain the stories in length. It can involve the audience and
deliver a lifelike communication
NEWS: anything that comes from a news channel is credible. Being present here definitely pulls up the concern
for tiger to top of mind
TELEVISION ADS: the lowest common denominator…largest reach with singular message, people are hooked to
the TV watching soaps, news, games etc…can we be present in this space and not only on Discovery and Animal
Planet?
FILMS: 2 hours of escapism …what stories can we tell them here that they will want to listen to, is mainstream,
entertaining yet makes an impact?
ANIMATION: cults begin early…Popeye, bal Hanuman, Shin Chan, can we recruit them young?
INTERNET : Why do people watch youtube? Because its real mostly and people are voyeuristic…
can we constantly upload
interesting stories around tigers, conservationist –from cute to concern?
PRESS:
Allows the person the leisure to read…
Focused thought (I survive you survive) related communication as ads
PR plants: Get business experts and economists to include this thought (I survive
you survive) in their articles
RADIO
Cheapest, highest reach in most countries
Get the RJ to own the tiger – create a show around it
Associate with music shows
Place ads
OUTDOOR:
Static medium however its very nature ensures repeat messaging at same cost
Poster campaigns
ONGROUND:
With guidance from wildlife experts people should have an opportunity to interact
with the tiger (many orphaned cubs that are in care)
Get children and adults to a well prepared area where they can read information,
take photographs with the cub and pledge their allegiance
The photos can have a framed message of ‘together we survive’.
An experience like this is unforgettable to a common man who mostly has an
impression of the ferocity of this animal.
ACTIVITY
LAUNCH
ONLINE
TV
MEDIA PR
DEMAND REDN
PSA
CINEMA
PR
RADIO
PRESS
ONLINE
ONGROUND
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEPT
OCT
NOV
DEC
COMMUMNICATION STRATEGIESFOR DEMAND REDUCTION IN
SPECIFIC SEGMENTS
DEMAND REDUCTION BY IDENTIFYING KEY SEGMENTS
Consumers of tiger parts (medicines and tonics)
Buyers of curios (tiger skin and other parts)
COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVE:
To change attitudes toward consumption of tiger parts among the consumer
segments involved by understanding motivations and patterns
CONSUMERS OF TONICS & FOLK REMEDIES WITH TIGER PARTS:
PRIMARY AUDIENCE:
This audience is primarily driven by the desire to buy virility and health in the form of medicines
and tonic containing tiger parts.
The creative bulls-eye audience is a 35-50+year old, typically the age when affluence sets in and so
does some form of mid life crisis.
Crisis or not this, is a stage when some people buy a 500cc motorbike that they coveted in their
20s and some others buy virility and health in the form of medicines with tiger parts.
OUR TASK HERE IS TO DEMYSTIFY THE TIGER TO THIS AUDIENCE.
And to communicate that there is no mythic powers in tiger parts.
We have to do this communication with the help of endorsements and testimonials from
respected practitioners of traditional medicine because these individuals will have a great deal of
credibility among the public.
If possible, a word-of-mouth or viral rumor campaign about how consuming tiger parts could
actually decrease virility and health (done covertly using the same channels that propagated the
benefits of tiger parts) is an option.
SECONDARY AUDIENCE:
Over and above this, we should have a communication aimed at the population at large to
increase awareness and be part of the larger ‘BRANDING THE TIGER’ activity.
BUYERS OF SKINS (FOR DISPLAY AND GARMENTS) AND CURIOS:
PRIMARY AUDIENCE:
If status drives this consumer to buy skins and curios, then we have to provide an
equally strong motivation against this illegal trade.
A “feel-good” emotional campaign about the plight of tigers might not be effective.
Communication has to aim at the ‘status’ of this consumer.
WHAT CAN WE SAY?
Possession of ‘illegal’ products can still be considered a status symbol due to their uniqueness, but
possession of ‘criminally convicting’ products can be seen as negative for their status.
For example, in Mumbai (India) drinking and driving was always illegal, but this law was not strongly
enforced and many people violated it. But the day the police started action and people started getting
arrested, it changed the public attitude and response to this behavior. So much so, that a new business
that provides a valet or driver for those who party and drink hard has successfully developed around
most pubs and clubs.
The communication must create a negative perception of people who possess these parts, similar to
possessing drugs or firearms.
It has to be reinforced that possession of skins or tiger part curios is an equally serious criminal activity,
and not just the seller but even the buyer will be persecuted with imprisonment.
These communication messages have to be present in all public places where there is
intelligence information about consumption, including airports, trains/buses and stations, large
market places and market hubs and local malls and shopping centers.
This can be done inexpensively and effectively with a poster/outdoor campaign, leaflets, sign
boards, and the like. But, it must be backed with action like regular and random checks
by police (of suspicious consumers) in the public space to re-enforce the seriousness of intent.
While it might still not deter some offenders, it will definitely communicate the criminal nature
of this activity and get the larger audience of generally law-abiding citizens to avoid it.
SECONDARY AUDIENCE:
Over and above this, there should be a communication aimed at the population at large to increase
awareness and be part of the larger ‘BRANDING THE TIGER’ activity
FEEDBACK/MONITORING MECHANISM
Feedback on the communication can be obtained by monitoring studies that research
agencies, such as like AC Nielsen, conduct for regular brands to assess change in attitudes
and buying behaviour.
A research agency can be requested to provide reports as often as quarterly to align and
evaluate the communications effort. The research plan can be flexible to include and exclude
information.
KEY INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE OF COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES:
 Awareness of the issue among the mass public
 Negative publicity for tiger part consumption
 Increased public pressure on authorities to take action