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The MSIX 6: ‘Big and nimble don’t go together’ – How conflicting messaging can harm a brand
The Marketing Science Ideas Xchange (MSIX) returns to Sydney in September. Guest speaker Professor Ujwal Kayandae will use psychology, economics, mathematics, and marketing science, to explain why consumers resist conflicting terms.
Taking place from 4 -5 September at Ovolo Woolloomooloo, the Marketing Science Ideas Xchange (MSIX) will hear from a range of industry leaders, including Ujwal Kayandae, a professor at Melbourne Business School.
In his session, Incoherent Marketing Dreams and Nightmares, Kayandae will use real-life examples to discuss how brands’ contradictory claims can put consumers off.
We sat down with him to chat all about it.
What is the role of marketing science in what you do?
It’s everything. I’m the only full-time professor at the conference, and I suspect as an attendee as well. I research and teach marketing science every day.
What makes effective marketing, in your opinion?
Marketing that meets and exceeds the client’s objectives. Specifically, revenue growth and cost reduction through greater effectiveness and efficiency.
What is the role of creativity in marketing?
It’s huge. It’s what helps businesses generate enthusiasm about the brand, whether through a push or a pull. So it’s a pretty massive role.
Can you share a little bit about what your particular session will be about in your appearance at MSIX?
It’s about when creativity goes amok. The main idea is that brands that claim two drivers that don’t go together in customers’ minds have a very high likelihood of being too cute for their own good and would suffer a penalty from customers.
For example, Accenture claimed to be big and nimble, which they did, and Honda claimed to be powerful and fuel-efficient, which they did. It didn’t really work for them. I’ve got thousands of such examples of brands trying to be two things that conflict.
Big and nimble don’t go together. Powerful and fuel-efficient didn’t go together until Tesla came along, but it still is a difficult proposition for traditional car companies.
I’m going to be presenting a mathematical model of how and why these dual claims are penalised by customers and then show some empirical evidence that supports the model.
What are some questions that you would like answered at MSIX?
How the new “science” of generative AI is going to change marketing. I emphasise the quotes around science because it is computer science. A big question right now is how generative AI is going to change the multiple components of marketing and research and how it’s going to affect creativity.
I just read a paper about how generative AI seems to be far more creative than human beings, which is very, very interesting.
I am very keen to understand how science is actually being used in marketing because it’s almost like mathematics and music – they don’t go together in most people’s minds.
For me, science and marketing don’t tend to go together because marketers tend to be almost anti-science. I’m very keen to learn how practitioners are using science in their marketing.
Day two will be workshops. What would you want to work on if you were an attendee on the day?
I would love to learn more about how generatively AI can be leveraged to make marketing more effective and efficient. Real examples and not thought bubbles.
Also, a workshop that really helps marketers develop better or make better decisions and how they can leverage data to be able to make better decisions.
The Marketing Science Ideas Xchange (MSIX) takes place 4-5 September 2024 at Ovolo Woolloomooloo. Get your tickets here.
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