This is an ad for a mosquito coil. In creative terms possibly the biggest strength of the advertisement is its simplicity. The take-off into the world of medicine is excellent. It depicts the coil as a stethoscope. That allows the brand seamless transition from a product to a remedy. The copy adds just two words to the communication: Doctor for Dengue. It is indeed simple but telling; a rare feat to achieve.

Yet, that is not the only reason why the ad is significant. The mosquito coil brand being advertised is Maxo, marketed by Jyothi laboratories. It is a national brand and therefore must be having campaigns running in areas other than Bengal. This ad is in Bengali and from all indications it is not a translation of the national campaign. It is an ad conceived and created in the local language.

Why should that deserve applause? Firstly, there is a simple reason why mosquito coil advertising should be in a local language. Mosquitoes find it easier to locate a suitable accommodation in plebeian localities. Hence a mosquito repellent would have more use among the masses than the classes. Naturally, to communicate with them vernacular is more appropriate than English.

One may well ask, what is so great about it; everyday in the newspaper and television don’t we see a plethora of local language advertising? Yes, we do. But many if not most are translations of ads conceived in English or Hindi. They meet the primary purpose of easier comprehension but often fall woefully short of being culture-sensitive. It lowers the penetrative power of advertising.

Why should that happen — aren’t we all Indians? Isn’t there something called Indian culture? Answer to both should be in the affirmative but, like Indian cuisine, the Hindi heartland more often than not defines Indian culture. That is not a problem in large parts of the country. A problem crops up only when it needs to work in a market with a strong local culture, like the southern states or in Bengal. Then the risk of alienation remains high. Neglect of advertising in Bengali can be caused by two sentiments — first because marketers feel that this market is not worth the special effort; the other could be because there is not enough talent available for creating a Bengali ad.

Of the two, the second is easier to refute. Ananda Bazar Patrika regularly advertises for its readers. They more often than not are of extreme high quality. As evidence we have reproduced an ad created by them on World Literacy Day. It shows a couple of lines written in chalk on a slate that kids in rural areas use. The lines say: Porte hoy noile pichhiye porte hoy. Indeed it is a very simple message in support of literacy. It is not coincidental that this happens to be the signature line of the newspaper.

The other excuse is more serious. It is simply not worth the effort; sales are not commensurate. The allegation is that in Bengal there are lots of people but not as many consumers. The million dollar issue is, whose onus is it to convert people to consumers? Are the people at fault or is it a failing of marketing?

Could it be that the lack of sensitivity of the national marketers to the culture of this state has stood in the way of stimulating demand? Horses for courses: as a marketing philosophy it requires a lot of effort and sensitivity. So it remains difficult to adopt and the least popular. Unfortunately, it is also the most failsafe of marketing axioms.