Consumerism and Brand awareness in India with BPO hipe

There are tons of print mounds and media time being spent on how outsourcing is taking away jobs from US, but are we aware of the giant Indian market where US brands are having an extraordinary run, most of the time at the costs of domestic brands? Call center agents in India blindly (and loyally) follow American products. You’ll find everyone is wearing Levi’s or Wrangler in the BPO campuses, so much so that a local company, Arvind Mills, which used to have larger market share in the jean market has recorded a 75% drop in sale this fiscal. Fit To Die for So, may be, the globe is not unsportingly inclined towards India only. In return, its giving back some. A call center may disappear from India sooner to more cheap and efficient country but brands and their journey, once they are established in a market remains forever. Lets discuss, some of the biggest US brands Indians now cant live without 1. Nike-Call center people are simply crazy about this brand. There is a neck to neck fight between Adidas and Nike about who gets the larger mind share. Nike ad is also positioned on Cricket. Looks like a movie from Mexico, Brazil or Argentina. Shoot in Mumbai, India. Craziness at its best. See how the generally the brand evolved. I Love India 2. McDonald: The brand may be about inexpensive quick food in US but in India it is perceived as an up market, close to high-end brand. On weekends you will find call center people thronging in McD outlets. In Gurgaon, Delhi people queue up in line to have a bite of Chicken McGrill. The most in demand are corner seats where guys pompously sit with their girlfriend while having a look at the passersby on the street from the glass wall. McDonald Happy Price Menu ad with Dev Anand I'm Loving It 3. Coca Cola: Coca-Cola is hip and happening with the call center crowd, a must have beverage on parties, nit or meshed up with rum/vodka/whisky. Though Coca-Cola these days a bit down with pesticide controversy. India’s biggest movie stars and cricketers endorse the brand and vouch for its purity. Remember the Ad "Thande Ka Tadka" by Aishwara Rai?? 4. Pepsi: Pepsi is truly informal and cool in India after all it is positioned as “nothing official about drink” in India. In call centers Pepsi and Coca Cola are like alternative to water and same like United States, where people drink more Soda than water. While mini and lunch breaks they gulp as much Pepsi and Coke as they can, they store the pet bottles in their cubicle and take sip whenever feel thirsty after nonstop chatting with customers. A nice Pepsi TV commercial, India’s two biggest movie stars are in a mission to impress someone special from the girl’s hostel. Pyas Hai Badi 5. Gillette: Smoothly over the last five years Gillette has completely dislodged its competitors from the Indian market. Gillette is a rage amongst educated clean shaved urban youths and call center boys get Gillette as a gift so often. See this Ad, how it got into the life of a regular Indian life with Rahil Dravid Indian Cricket Team captain. 6. Ford: More than Indian brands like Maruti, brands like Hyundai and Fords are clear favorite for the BPO guys. Ford Fusion has been the chosen as the best seller car in its segment last year. "No Non-Sense Car" 7. KFC: After not a very smooth start half a dozen years ago, mainly due to political reasons, re-launched KFC bounced back like Phoenix in India. Its so doing so good in the so called young and hip joint that to broaden its appeal it has included vegetarian burger in its menu. Imagine KFC serving vegetarian stuff. 8. Pizza Hut: High voltage TV ad and clever branding and 24*7 accessibility has made it a favorite hang out zone for the call center crowd. You will definitely find one Pizza Hut corner in most of the call center food courts. Chicken Tikka, Tandoori range and Lamb korma are special Indian addition. See how Pizza Hut stewards do the work out before they start working at India. It's known as Pizza Hut Dance. Pankaj Batra, Director-Marketing, Indian Subcontinent says, We recognize the young adult (18 – 29 years) as our target customer. As a result our overall strategy is formulated keeping this significant group in mind -- whether it is the launch of innovative new product ranges every couple of months or the frequent introduction of exciting customer initiatives or communication that strikes a chord with this age group. 9. Motorola: One of the biggest mobile phone market in the world, in India, in all the call centers everyone you find is having an one. After Nokia, Motorola is the second largest selling mobile phone in the country in that demography. This is funny Ad from Abhishek Bacchan for Indian Consumers.