Ex-BBDO-er Lindstrom: India Makes Everyone Puke; Should Clean Itself Up

(MoneyWatch)  Ex-BBDO boss Martin Lindstrom says India is a filthy place that makes everyone sick, and that the country should hold itself to the high standards of McDonald's in order to fix its image problems. The former CEO of BBDO Interactive in Europe and Asia gave an interview to India's Tejelka in which he was asked how India should change its image. His answer: stop poisoning tourists:

India has a terrible reputation regarding sanitary and health based issues -- many tourists are afraid of visiting the country because of the bacteria. India needs to spend considerable time on fixing this problem -- the problem is not only a perception concern, but a reality concern. Most people who have visited India have stories about how they became sick: this needs to change

He went on to commit something of a heresy in the agency world by suggesting that India's health problems can't actually be fixed by advertising -- yet.

Instead of using money on marketing and branding, I'd suggest that very strict (McDonald's-like) criteria are introduced in all five, four and three star hotels in India -- sanitary criteria that ensure that tourists feel 'safe' and return to their homeland with good memories rather than of being sick

Among his other suggestions, that India could learn from the Harry Potter books because it's:

a brand which everyone can see themselves 'in', meaning a brand that everyone feels fits them, which has an image they like and aspire to. Harry Potter is a great example: both adults and children like it; it almost has two different tracks, each appealing perfectly to their audience.

He also suggested that brand managers should do their anthropological research by looking at the lines of people waiting to get into nightclubs:

This is where trends like wearing a belt outside your shirt, or underwear above your pants are born. A great way to learn what really goes on among the audience.

Indeed.