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Services Management
Notes Association
The intangibility of the service offer makes it difficult for the marketer to convince consumers about
its credibility, character, or the “ability to keep its word”, “service delivery”, etc. This can be overcome
by associating the offer with some living persona, or known inanimate objects. This is almost akin
to having a known personality endorsing the offer. In this way, the marketer can build a bridge, and
expect the association to rub off positively on the service offer, morphing the endorser’s personality
on it. The consumer makes the analogy, believes the service delivery promise, and gets some idea of
its character. This makes it easier to build a relationship with customers.
ICICI Bank seeks to associate itself with the rejuvenated and dynamic Amitabh Bachchan. ‘The
Big B’ is an appropriate symbol of enduring popularity, versatility, strength, character and
genuine success. The fact that he has overcome a debilitating disease (myasthenia gravis), personal
slur (failed political career, financial impropriety with brother Ajitabh in IPCA and Gammon
India takeovers and questionable relationship with the Gandhis), financial ruin (failed attempts
in satellite broadcasting, ABCL bankruptcy, Miss World fiasco, etc.) spoke of a unique, resilient,
‘ability to bounce back’ quality. But the key to the endorsement, of course, was the timing of the
comeback: the Kaun Banega Crorepati game show. An Indian clone of ‘Who wants to be a
Millionaire’, the anchoring/hosting was done with surprising finesse and gentility. Bachchan
successfully addressed the whole nation, keeping it spellbound for a year and a half, proving
that he was an inspired choice – both by Siddharth Basu as well as ICICI Bank. ICICI Bank
associated itself with Amitabh Bachchan in its branding exercise.
For NIIT, the leading computer education firm, to get it itself linked with Vishwanathan Anand
was a very intelligent move. NIIT was after all propositioning itself as a mecca for young minds
seeking computer education and intelligent solutions for their career.
Example: Vishwanathan Anand is an international icon of intelligence, a chess
grandmaster.
Singapore Tourism Promotion Board uses the logo ‘Merlion’ the mythical mermaid and lion
morphed together to convey mystery, promise and pleasure that was always associated with
that region right from the time the Britisher Sir Stafford Raffles discovered Singapore, the land
of the lions. The word ‘sing’ means lion in the original lexicography of the subcontinent.
The oldest organisations that used this physical representation effectively are the church and the
universities. The tall spires of churches have always given hope to troubled Christians; their
cathedrals such as St. Paul’s are cavernous, tall and awe-inspiring and have been designed to
make human beings feel small and humble before The Vision of a Higher Power. Old universities
like Budapest, Oxford and Harvard have had their buildings tell most of the success stories.
Parliaments, courts and city halls have seen the importance of buildings in evoking patriotism,
moral sense and in rallying around.
Caselet Case: Air India
he Maharajah began merely as a rich Indian potentate, symbolising graciousness and
Thigh living. And somewhere along the line his creators gave him a distinctive
personality: his outsized moustache, the striped turban and his aquiline nose.
What began as an attempt for a design for an in-flight memo pad grew to take Air-India’s
sales and promotional messages to millions of travellers across the world. Today, this
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