A woman is a bundle of contradiction,
She's afraid of a wasp, will scream at a mouse,
But will tackle a stranger alone in the house.
Sour as vinegar, sweet as a rose,
She'll kiss you one minute, then turn up her nose,
She'll win you in rage, enchant you in silk ,
She'll be stronger than brandy, milder than milk,
At times she'll be vengeful, merry and sad,
She'll hate you like poison, and love you like mad......
Corporates are like women.. their behaviour so unpredictable, their tantrums so unique, their reactions so impulsive, their moods so erratic and their attitudes capricious....
The point, I guess is well taken... Corporates are like women..
Pepsi and coke after the pesticide conundrum decided or just happened to be whimsical in their reaction patterns ..it is not just about pesticides but reacting to any controversyit seems is the case...
Indra nooyi and her middle finger landed the company in deep grime and filth ,which is still stuck on the brands reputation... It is the classic case of how a CEO speak, with good intentions ostensibly landing the a corporate in a virtual quagmire...
This analogy of the five fingers as the five major continents leaves the long, middle finger for North America, and, in particular, The United States. As the longest of the fingers, it really stands out. The middle finger anchors every function that the hand performs and is the key to all the fingers working together efficiently and effectively. This is a really good thing, and has given the U.S. a leg-up in global business since the end of World War 1...
This land we call home is a most-loving, and ever-giving nation -a 'promised land' that we love dearly in return. And it represents a true force that - if used for good - can steady the hand - along with global economies and cultures. ....
That is what Indra seems to have said and the controversy mongers (lead by Bloggers....mmmm...) celebrated....well enough is already said, discussed, e- mailed, smsed, written, printed and blogged about Indra nooyi and her middle finger.
It seems to be a case of living together with sin and blissfully so, as far as pepsi is concerned....In India, the CSE exposure of pesticides and the knee jerk reaction of cola majors are part of marketing and marketing communications history by now ( see my blog on August 8 -2006)..I was wondering what will happen as time passes by....
And my expectation was not simply belied ... The cola guys has come up with bold initiatives of communication ... to tell the world that they are indeed pure and clean and all the accusations to the contrary is just humbug. The reaction patterns eventhough quite predictable and living up to 
conventions ,I am sure has made many of us give back a soft glance to the contour bottles.
Worth mentioning is the attempt by Coke who used none other than their long time ally and celebrity entertainer cum endorser- Aamir Khan to do the job, this time without any jesting and slapstick. To drive home the point ( that the soft drink is safe and pure) the star gulps a bottle and by god, it is COMMUNICATING..... some kind of communication on the lines of the Cadburys stuff using Amitabh batchan...
Pepsi didnt take any stars to do the job, instead bestowed the honours on the CEO of their Indian division - Rajiv Bakshi... How meritorious was this Ad?? To be honest ,the attempt while deserves some admiration, the execution of the Ad ,to me did not do any wonders.. At the end of
it, I was left wondering what was he trying to say? Simply by showing a Lab and scientists, and claiming that Pepsi is safe for your children and my children , will it become safe?.. Will the message be communicated like the Coke one? I doubt...
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.... Coke triumphs with Aamir himself gulping down a Coke . Much more inviting and beleivable than the plain declaration by Mr Bakshi talking big stuff with an open bottle but not daring to sip it ,even once .For me it is case of broken promises....
No ...I am not talking about the case of 50000 jobs which they promised Punjab , way back in the 80's when pepsi was established and till date failing to reach nowhere near the figure...
No ..I am not talking about the change in the brand name Lehar Pepsi to Pepsi which they say was a breach of commitment...
No..I am not talking about the Pepsi stake in Futura polymers, in Chennai and the environmental quandary that they are allegedly into...
Not that I am not bothered about the above said stuff, but I am more bothered , as someone in the business of marketing communication , by the erroneous conception by which they could think that Rajiv bakshi could be another Lee Iacocca and save the sinking ship as the grand old man did save Daimler Chrysler from bankruptcy by appearing in almost 60 commercials for the 
car manufacturer. That magic conceived by Kenyon & Eckhardt , is part of Advertising history. Not every CEO could be a Lee Iaocca, not even Lee could repeat the magic when he returned to advertise for Chrysler recently. (For more on that come back see this link http://www.adrants.com/2005/07/new-iacocca-chrysler-commercial-not-a.php)
When in trouble, why is Pepsi reacting the way they are?
Communication from companies should be convincing, compelling and credible, to be specific and this CEO speak from Pepsi simple fails and my question is still unanswered...
Let me take it from the ad itself.. Pepsi ke bare mein sawaal hain…Kaun dega jawaab?”
Like the young man in the ad let me ask -“Meri Pepsi wapas milegi? ”
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