Twenty years ago, Alberto Achar, current Marketing Manager and founder of Librerías Gandhi bookstores, proposed a different kind of advertising that would attract new readers. He suggested creating a marketing department to develop a brand. The first step was to unify the concept and begin researching Librerías Gandhi consumers.
When it began, Gandhi's marketing strategy had many things working against it. Gandhiwas a serious firm that could not disrespect consumers by using words such as "güey," alluding to a popular song such as "La mesa que más aplaude" or a youth soap opera such as "Rebelde."However, the results were evident. Shortly after its launch, Gandhi's advertising campaign began to reap awards from the Creative Circle and the Mexican Association of Advertising Agencies (Amap). Comments and letters praising the campaign poured in.
The best thing is that people who previously rarely entered the chain's stores began to frequent them in search of books, but also records, concert tickets, and even cer
gift certificates. Today, more than 3 million people visit the stores.
Start at home
When developing a marketing strategy, you should consider the following: the first thing is to put your house in order.
After Gandhi's research, management realized that their main problem was that people saw the chain as a distant and unattainable brand. A bookstore for intellectuals and philosophers, for educated people, where anyone who didn't fit the profile would feel out of place for appearing uncultured.
“Gandhi covers the entire commercial process and analyzes it before launching a campaign. This analysis is not usually done by entrepreneurs, and it is vital for decision-making, because it finds that people who want to read want something lighter," says Carlos Chávez, professor at the Pan-American Institute of High Business Management (Ipade).
- The first step was to change the perception of the brand. Keep in mind that all brands can be associated with a person. And ideally, you should know, as Gandhi did, what the characteristics of that person are. In the survey, customers said that Gandhi was a very formal man of about 67, an intellectual and a little stiff.
- So, the second step was to create a communication channel for customers with Lee magazine, which includes recommendations for literature, music, film, and art in a more relaxed tone. And, of course, to get to work on the advertising campaign to "de-stiffify" the brand.
- The third task was to resume the cultural events that had begun since the creation of the bookstores and formalize them so that there would be 30 per month.
- A fourth step was to create gift certificates.
And just before launching the campaign to the public, the marketing department standardized the image of the stores because, although they all had the same logo, each one actually had different furniture, and there was no policy on the use of space for suppliers.
In fact, anyone could walk into a branch and put up a promotional poster. Under the new rules, those spaces would be sold or exchanged for some added value.
Without even advertising, people were already noticing the change in bookstores, and Gandhi's general management was beginning to reap the rewards of its investment in marketing with an increase in customers and, of course, sales. It was then that the marketing unit became part of the business strategy, so that today all areas are connected and work together with it.
Refine your advertising strategy
Librerías Gandhi had been advertising since 1998, almost exclusively in print media. However, the ads were complicated and difficult to understand because they were related to literary works and used sophisticated language.
Those puns that only a lawyer could understand gave way to the new advertising campaign, which stood out for its short messages in purple letters printed on a yellow background, alluding to the brand's signature colors.
The first proposal from the Saatchi & Saatchi agency was made by José Montalvo, who presented a slogan that left Gandhi's executives speechless: "Reading, dude, increases, dude, your vocabulary, dude." This was followed by others such as: "This isn't a spectacular ad, it's pretty average," "We already made you read," and "If you want to see more billboards like this, buy more books."
The budget for the area was very small, so Montalvo suggested betting everything on a single billboard in a key location, and they chose a highly visible spot on Periférico and Barranca del Muerto in Mexico City. The intention was to place the first message, leave it there for a few weeks, and then change the phrase.
Of course, the brand was criticized by the intellectual audience. However, they achieved their goal and attracted the attention of new customers who began visiting the branches in search of a pastime. For that
Therefore, the marketing department was well aware that this audience purchased up to four books every six months, unlike their regular customers (who account for 33% of sales) who purchase five or more books.
The Secrets of Gandhi
These are the recommendations that all SMEs and entrepreneurs should take into account when setting up a marketing department.
- Be patient and persistent.
- Know your customer. It sounds cliché, but it's key.
- Don't think that money solves everything. You have to be very creative.
- Believe in yourself, your company, and your offering. Otherwise, you won't succeed.
- Take risks. If you have an advertising agency and you don't dare to try new things, it will never work.
From the 4Ps to the 4Cs
Forty years ago, the classic marketing model was created based on four concepts: product, price, promotion, and place. These were the 4 Ps of any marketing strategy.
Today, the most successful companies understand that no business can survive without customers, which is why marketing strategies have shifted to what is now known as the 4 Cs.
This is a complete transformation of a company's vision, where the main focus shifts from the product to the customer, from promotion to communication, from price to cost, and from place to convenience.
It currently manages 19 billboards throughout Mexico. Today, they continue to conduct surveys on brand perception, but thanks to the campaign, the results are different. Now, "Mr. Gandhi" is about 46 years old, educated, has a good sense of humor, and likes double entendres.
Not everyone can copy what Gandhi did. However, the recipe is to have a strategy, a marketing structure, research the market, have advertising advice, and run a campaign, whatever size it may be, but do it.
