Patanjali & The Pursuit of Marketing Success - Part II

In Part 1, I explored the fascinating connection between Marketing and the ancient yogis’ 3-Step Appraisal-Impulse-Action.

The pioneers of yoga observed that literally hundreds of thousands of different “objects” entered through our six sense doors, setting off a complex 3-step chain in the mind-body. This observation is particularly prescient in the modern media environment, when consumers are bombarded with a vast number of messages.

So how can the astute present day marketer use this time-honored wisdom to create value for his or her brand and business?

Step 1 - Appraisal

Appraisal divides all “sense objects” into one of three categories: pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.

It is vital for marketers to dig deep into human psyche to unearth what “pleasant” means in their specific category. What makes something pleasant is universal, profound and even at times primal. “Pleasantness” is not superficial – for example, having a slightly differentiated product benefit, or making a TV ad with a bankable movie star.

How a brand looks, feels, smells, or tastes relates to how we humans see, and assign meaning to, color, shape, aroma and tactility. What people think and feel about a brand is rooted in fundamental human needs – needs such as Autonomy, Celebration, Integrity, Nurturance, Self Expression, Social Emotional Interdependence and Spiritual Energy. Bringing these diverse and apparently abstract ideas together into an actionable cohesive and attractive blend is Brand Architecture. The world’s most successful brands – Apple, Mercedes Benz, Gucci, Singapore Airlines, New York City and Arsenal Football Club to name a few – do this with refinement and distinction.

The aforementioned brands live and breathe their identities, pleasing us through some or all of the six sense doors. The astute marketer invests time, intellect and energy to create a brand that just is. By being uniquely itself, the brand becomes alluring and enchanting.

Step 2 - Impulse

Impulse is about creating passion and desire. This is when thoughts such as “I like” or “I’m drawn to” become “I want to own or belong to”. This is when the omnipresent P’s of marketing play a role in giving tangible, reliable and rewarding form to a brand through design, materials, pricing, communication, distribution, service and so on.

This is when Apple gets sleek design and user-friendly interactivity, beautiful graphics and watchable communication. This is when Singapore Airlines trains its crews to provide the best in-flight service in the world. This is when Arsenal backs long-standing manager Arsene Wenger to assemble team after team of the best global talent to play a unique style of football unmatched for its fluidity, invention and verve.

This is when people, based on their personalities, wants and needs, make decisions on which phone or laptop is right for them, which airline to fly with and which football club to love and belong to through thick and thin – which brings me to the third and final step.

Step 3 - Action

Action is when brand experience, activation, merchandising, store design, channels to consumer, service standards, quality of staff, on-time-in-full delivery and relationship management become key.

People typically have an abundance of brands to choose from. For them to take the final step in choosing a brand – the “I have” step – demands extraordinary brand performance in the last mile.

This is when Apple’s attentive, amicable and helpful sales teams in their well laid out stores create a faithful fan following; when Singapore Airlines’ genuinely friendly crew, impeccable service and exemplary punctuality creates loyal flyers; when Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, branded T-shirts and televised games provide the Arsenal experience no matter where you are.

There is of course more to success in modern day marketing, such as bringing quality and differentiation across the many activities I’ve touched upon above. I will explore these in future posts.

I’d like to end this one by saying that, while the context is different, isn’t it amazing that the foundation of Marketing is the very same understanding of human consciousness that Patanjali discovered thousands of years ago?

To talk about Patanjali and modern marketing and/or all things brand and marketing related, write to me at bharat@bb-a.co.in 



(References and inspiration from Stephen Cope’s The Wisdom of Yoga, Bantam Books, 2007 and Need Audit extract from Marshall B Rosenberg, 1995)