Just ‘Two Words’

When M.S. Dhoni informally interacts with his fellow cricketers, the banter and leg-pulling also lead to the advice: ‘It is sensible to invest in mutual funds’. He goes on to say that it is important to prepare for one’s retirement and mutual funds are an appropriate choice.

The two-word brand marketing campaign sounds and resounds effectively, giving the entire category of mutual funds a boost.

The powerful ‘two-word’ brand marketing encompassed in sahi hain has developed and grown the category of mutual funds and made ‘mutual funds sahi hain’ a household slogan. In fact, the whole mutual fund industry has grown by leaps and bounds because of it.

The entire campaign of sahi hain, applied in various situations and involving multiple celebrities, has built an entire category of ad campaigns.

In my opinion, this ‘two-word’ brand marketing works and has worked well.

Thand Rakh – the latest campaign for the soft drink Sprite – is another example of a two-word brand marketing that has been extremely effective.

At a bus stop, two young boys sit close to each other. In these days of social distancing, when the second youngster comes close to the first one—too close for comfort—the first boy is angry and visualises giving a full-frontal attack verbally and physically. However, when he picks up a Sprite and enjoys its ice-cool effect, he contains his reaction to ‘keep your cool’: Thand Rakh—a two-word expression in Punjabi, which means ‘keep your cool’.

Instead of getting upset and angry and losing your cool, saying Thand Rakh, I feel, is a wonderful example of ‘two-word’ brand marketing. Not only is this common Punjabi phrase used effectively, but it is also applied relevantly to the product category to enhance the equity of the brand Sprite, advising you to keep your cool.

This is another excellent example of ‘two-word’ brand marketing, which, in my opinion, is powerful, potent, and frugal. In just two words, the entire message is conveyed, making it memorable and cutting through the clutter.

Piyo Bisleri is another interesting campaign, this time for the mineral water Bisleri, which is the brand leader in the category.

A mother camel and her child are shown moving around. The child is thirsty, and the mother is patiently looking for the right quality of water, though the child keeps insisting on quickly needing some water to drink. Ultimately, the mother finds the correct brand and quality of water in Bisleri, with which she quenches the thirst of the child.

Then comes another apt expression of ‘two-word’ brand marketing: Piyo Bisleri.

Now, let’s shift the scene to a mother trying to convince her son, who is in another town, to come back and meet his would-be bride, whom she seems to have shortlisted. He keeps avoiding her, is not interested, and wants to further delay the homecoming.

She requests him through videoconferencing to come by air, but he says: ‘No, I’ll come by bus’. She then shows the photograph of the girl she has shortlisted for him. His eyes light up, and he immediately books airline tickets through Paytm and informs his mother that he is coming to spend more time with her. The mother smiles, knowing that, actually, he wanted to come and spend more time with the girl she has shortlisted.

At the end of it all, comes the ‘two-word’ marketing slogan: Paytm Karo.

Bajate Raho, a Red FM campaign, is also memorable for its ‘two-word’ brand marketing campaign. It is effective and can be hummed easily.

Even internationally, ‘two-word’ brand marketing has worked well. Apple’s ‘Think Different’ is a case in point. Then there are:

• Indigo – ‘Go Indigo’
• Aaj Tak – ‘Sabse Tez’
• BSNL – ‘Connecting India’
• Motorola – ‘Hello Moto’
• Intel – ‘Intel Inside’
• Subway – ‘Eat Fresh’
• Skoda – ‘Simply Clever’
• LG – ‘Life’s Good’
• Garnier – ‘Take Care’

Everywhere, the ‘two-word’ brand marketing techniques have worked well. In fact, India’s successful ‘Incredible India’ too has worked well as a ‘two-word’ brand marketing campaign.

I feel that audio support, especially the signature tune, has worked well in every ‘two-word’ brand marketing campaign.

Sometimes, it is effective to use the brand name itself as one of the two words. Among the excellent examples that I am recommending are:

• ‘Wah Taj!’
• ‘Hamara Bajaj’

And, above all, India’s positioning, which is also its motto and is printed on, among other places, currency notes and government documents, is also a two-word expression: Satyameva Jayate.

‘Two-word’ brand marketing, in my opinion, is a powerful and effective way of communicating and building one’s brand. Many have succeeded, and many will in the future.

Indeed, ‘two-word’ brand marketing works well, very well!