MAM
Delamere teaches how to strategise in a dynamic market
MUMBAI: Strategising isn‘t easy in the media play as the environment has become increasingly dynamic with multiple platforms available, audiences getting more fragmented and plethora of brands surfacing in the market. Advertisers and media planners and buyers need to rework their course of action.
“The key to a good strategy is pretty basic. Know your consumer,let it revolve around your consumer and not around yourself,”said
Addiction Worldwide brand strategy director Martin Delamere.
This is easier talked about than achieved. Delamere, who was speaking at PromaxBDA India 2012, said the trick is to get into the details of the consumer’s psyche and habits.
“It is also important to know whether your TG is the influencer or the decision maker. Once the consumer has been understood, it becomes easier to take the next step which is to tell him why he should choose you. Give the consumer a feeling of connect so that it builds loyalty over time. Also, just talking about it almost doesn’t work in today’s day and age as consumers want proof,”he averred.
A very important decision for any strategist is to decide whether to globalise a brand’s approach or localise it. While some brands can take a more global approach in their communication, some need to be localised.
For example, American apparel brand Abercrombie and Fitch has stores that have a party feel with dim lights, club music and décor which clicked with consumers in US. In Japan, though, the strategy failed as shoppers gave more importance to functionality of the store than its aesthetics.
“Having said this, some elements of the brand need to remain consistent globally in order to maintain identity. It is the balance between globalising the brand and localising it that is of importance,” Delamere held.
He also pointed that in order to create a successful marketing campaign, it is necessary to integrate TV viewing experience with web and mobile. While it will increase the touch points that brands target at the same time, it also enhances the consumer’s experience with the brand.
Another key to strategising is doing good as consumers want to know what higher purpose you intend to serve.
Lastly, strategy shouldn’t be superficial. “It isn’t about that new coat of paint only. It is about adding depth, value and meaning to your brand,” concludes Delamere.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
