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: to their consumers, except for an offer of handling complaints. Hence these brands have no other touch point except when they are picked up and taken home. These brands can use experiential marketing to create a number of new touch points for their consumers. A few brands are looking at and utilising emerging opportunities in the new consumerist Indian marketplace.

Act II popcorn from Agro-tech foods has its presence in many leading cinema halls in the south. The Act II branded popcorn machine makes fresh popcorn for film buffs. an opportunity to bond with thousands of consumers everyday, outside home. Hindustan Lever is pushing ahead with its vending machines dispensing Taj Mahal Tea, Bru Coffee, and now Knorr Soups. Placed at strategic locations like shopping malls, airports, railway stations, the brands bond with consumers when they are on the move.

The Malayala manorama group has set up vending machines to dispense their English magazine The Week and other publications at departure lounges in Indian airports. The brand gets an exclusive display opportunity and through association with air travel and the brand image gets an upward push.

There are many such opportunities for consumer product brands to connect with their consumers. Given the high cost of vending machines, chances are that each of these operations are justified not on sales return basis but on an ‘image boost’ basis. In addition to giving a consumer a brand experience in high traffic locations, brands can attempt to impart education and information by going through the specialist route.

Lakme has rolled out a series of ‘Lakme’ branded beauty parlours which offer a high level of service.

Ponds created a touch screen kiosk set up at departmental store beauty sections. These help consumers choose the kind of make up that best suits their skin colour, bone structure, and facial features.

Dental care brands like Colgate and Pepsodent sponsor dental check-ups in schools across the country. They also have an elaborate programme in place to communicate to dentists and are often seen displayed in dentist’s waiting chambers.

Brand building communication has to look beyond just brand communication and advertising to see how consumers can be given a ‘brand experience’. An Act II consumer, after seeing a block buster movie munching through a pack of Act II popcorn is going to carry that habit whenever he sees a blockbuster movie on his TV!

—Reprinted with permission from Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company

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