Orkut’s facelift to save face…

The social networking war in india is intensifying with Google finally breaking its lull over the declining popularity of its social networking site, Orkut and doing a major revamp of its features. Orkut has built upon Google’s core strengths and has added usage of You Tube videos within the Orkut environment without opening new pages, faster upload and download of Picasa pictures. Also, for the first time, G-talk is embedded into Orkut. Apart from the major new additions, other supplementary features like video chat and video testimonials, automatic face detection and varied colours and fonts for text have also been made available. At a time when the second wave of social networking has picked up in India with the explosive growth of Facebook and dedicated work place sites like Twitter and LinkedIn, the name that once became synonymous with the college youth of the country is today struggling to maintain that same growth of new users as in its first two-three years of operations in India. With arch rival Facebook bringing newer features like games, content sharing and publishing analytics, (which make users analyse how many time a link has been shared and the number of comments), et al, the war is set to continue for years to come. This move will prompt rivals in the market to scurry for further additions to their websites as the game is entirely about providing more and more user-friendly services within the architecture of the same website. If you see Facebook and Twitter soon arriving with a host of new features, don’t be amazed because as long as social networking and web technology will keep evolving, the war will continue.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Show your ‘DariyaDilli’!

Show your ‘DariyaDilli’!The marketing fraternity this fortnight was busy with events around children’s day. The country’s largest FM network Big 92.7 FM brought together ace designer Rohit Bal, children of MaxFort school to celebrate the Children’s day with the street children in Delhi. On the occasion, the radio station launched ‘DariyaDilli’ campaign with an aim to make Delhiites pledge and spread the warmth of Delhi to the street children by contributing woolen clothes. Designer Rohit Bal came forward to support the cause. Ashwin Padmanabhan, Station Head – BIG 92.7 FM Delhi said, “The campaign not only provides warm clothes to poor, but also reinforces the idea to the local populace to own and embrace the underprivileged.” Well, the initiative perfectly gels with Big FM’s philosophy of ‘Life Banao’.

Pallavi Srivastava

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

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...and the shakers

• The creative duties of the account of JM Financial – a comprehensive financial services group, which was hitherto handled by Grey Worldwide, has been bagged by Creativeland Asia following an account review done by the client.

• As part of a global alignment exercise, Swarovski’s Asia-Pacific media planning and buying account has been awarded to ZenithOptimedia India. The account, which was earlier being jointly handled by ZenithOptimedia and Havas Media’s MPG Group, is estimated to be worth Rs.5-10 crore and was assigned without any pitch. l JWT retained the creative duties of the prestigious account of Pizza Hut in a multi-agency pitch. JWT won against a host of full-service agencies including BBDO, O&M, Saatchi & Saatchi, et al. JWT has been handling the account, which is estimated to be worth Rs.15 crore, for over a decade now.

• In a multi-agency pitch, national carrier, Air India has shortlisted nine agencies viz. Dentsu, Everest Brand Solutions, Euro RSCG, Mudra, Lowe Lintas, Crayons, Grey India, DraftFCB+Ulka, and Saatchi & Saatchi for the final round of its creative pitch.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

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MOKSHA IN MELTDOWN

The Great Economic Slowdown

No other issue has dominated mind and media space in the last one year or so in the manner that the economic crisis has. Almost overnight, non-stop binge partying by Indian companies and consumers collapsed into visions of economic Armageddon, job losses, uncertainity about the future and worse. Real estate companies that were selling dreams faster than spiritual gurus suddenly found that the ground beneath their feet had crumbled. Export industries in far flung cities like Tirupur, Surat and Ludhiana found that export markets had vanished into thin air. Auto companies suddenly found that no one was interested in buying two wheelers, cars and trucks. So strong was the sense of gloom and doom that there was a virtual run on ICICI Bank, which was forced to loudly and vehemently protest that it was liquid and sound. And keeping – and getting – a job started proving damnably difficult. This was clearly a wake up call for millions of Indians. But it does appear at the moment that visions of apocalypse unveiled by the end of 2008 were perhaps a bit exaggerated. Sure, business is yet to completely recover and will perhaps never reach the mad boom days of 2006-2008. But there are unmistakable signs that the economy is back on track and that consumers are once again buying. Oops... did you actually ask whether the recession (sorry, slowdown) had any impact on electoral fortunes in the country? You must be joking!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Charlie Chaplin is still afresh in people’s mind

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The idea of using a black-and-white background has not occurred to Cherry Blossom alone. Apple came out with an ad featuring black and white video footage and print ads featuring legends like Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso. The ad ended with the image of a young girl opening her eyes (as if)to see the possibilities before her. Everyday, the ad featured a different historic figure, with a small Apple logo and the ‘Think Different’ slogan. The idea was to convey that although the world may perceive these (historical icons) as rebels, troublemakers or crazy – Apple sees them as geniuses, because people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do – just what Apple does in its labs. The campaign, completely in line with Apple’s brand positioning, was a hit.

The idea of using historical icons as ambassadors is catching on fast in India. State Bank of India, the nation’s largest public sector bank, recently launched a print campaign with pictures of its celebrated account holders in the distant past viz. Dadabhai Naoroji, J.R.D. Tata, J.C. Bose, among others. As per the agency, the idea is to establish SBI’s ‘legacy and reputation’ in the mind of modern consumers.

For many, using historical icons as brand ambassadors is the safest bet (besides being economically cheaper), as there are little possibilities of controversies and criticism due to their present deeds. Remember, the quagmire that marketers found themselves in when Salman Khan drove his Land Cruiser over sleeping pavement dwellers in Mumbai or when Sanju Baba landed in jail. Millions of endorsement dollars riding on their backs gave sleepless nights to many. Guess it does pay sometimes to really go ahead and take Apple’s advice: ‘Think Different’!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

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IIPM - We will change your outlook : Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam is exposed

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A different beat!

The man whose basmati rice brand, India Gate, has achieved global status talks about his experience...

4Ps B&M: What were the major challenges that you faced while taking your brand India Gate global?
AKM: First of all, the dominance of large retailers like Wal-Mart. Then convincing the customer about the quality of the product posed a challenge, because in the food business, quality assurance is must. But India has a copyright for basmati rice and I started highlighting that aspect in my product and gave all possible details of manufacturing process, location, date, et al, on the packaging.

4Ps B&M: When it comes to USA, the food standard bills are very strong. Did this prove a bottleneck to enter the US market?
AKM: Not only in USA, but in Europe too, food safety rules are very strict. But as I said, we paid attention to our packaging and when it comes to processing, we followed global standards. I think these are the basics to create a brand which have to be supported by proper promotional exercise. So, we started highlighting the USP of the basmati rice.

4Ps B&M: What major challenges do Indian food entrepreneurs face while trying to create a global brand?
AKM: Most players can’t afford to create a brand as it takes time and money to generate goodwill that is required to creating brand. And then, many players still consider it a commodity, which cannot be branded. Having been in the industry for over than three decades, I learnt that even a common food commodity like basmati rice could be branded. All it needed was the right brand name, with proper marketing efforts. I deliberately gave it the name ‘India Gate’ because its represents India.

4Ps B&M: And as per you, which are the key markets for Indian foods?
AKM: It’s difficult to point out the key markets. Like for rice, is can be either of Middle-East, Europe, Africa or US while Indian spices are demanded widely in Europe.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

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A man who has jumped from paints to carbonated drinks to straight-off-the-shelf retail,

Mayur Toshniwal does not disappoint in his astute views on life, leadership and... biology!

Biology is the subject he hates, understanding personalities is what he loves, managing operations at Future Group is what he does. Mayur Toshniwal – President, Retail Operations (Value Formats) of Future Group comes out as a man who possesses a diversified personality, and not just because of his mix of mechanical engineering (from IT-BHU, Varanasi) and MBA (from IIM Ahmedabad).

Toshniwal started his corporate journey at the mecca of marketing learning, Asian Paints. But with his penchant for commerce and the personal quest to indulge in business, through his seven years tenure in Asian Paints and then in Coca Cola, he relentlessly kept hunting for something new. And his hunt came to an end when one day he met Kishore Biyani, the owner of Future Group, and in just 15 minutes flat decided to join the group as the CEO of North India.

That was five years back. But the journey till date, which he has cherished, has not been as hunky dory as it might seem – for as Future Group proliferated from Pantaloon to other different formats like Food Bazaar and Big Bazaar, Mayur’s challenges also started increasing. Moreover, with the responsibility of the pan India retail operations for the Rs.10,000 crore group, things were as complex as one could handle. “But it’s always interesting as you not only have new formats, but also have new cities adding bringing new challenges,” says Toshniwal.

But what about the growth target of 40% that Future Group had aimed for with respect to Pantaloon Retail India Ltd (which owns the brands of Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar etc)? Especially as the same-store-sales grew only by 5.7% in the first half of 2009 (Jan-June) and home retailing in fact declined by 4.8%. How logical was it to expand so much during the last year? “Yes, the last three years we have done major expansions; we entered in various new formats; Food Bazaar was established as a standalone store etc – we estimated that India will be a hub for a robust retail industry. It was the slowdown and rising real estate cost that affected the industry. But irrespective of that, grocery and food retailing format of out store has grown more that our expectation,” explains Toshniwal.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
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Delighting dealers?

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Says Srikant Gokhle, CEO, Impact Retail (which owns the X-cite brand), “For the customer, we are the face of the company. It is we who sell their products and look after their after sales.” In India, a major chunk of sales of electronics and durables come from multi-brand outlets rather than exclusive stores (over 50% in some cases). Delighting the dealers therefore, becomes obligatory. When a customer walks into a multi-brand outlet with quite a handful of brands to choose from, it is the dealer who convinces the customer to buy a particular brand. And based on the relationship the dealer shares with the manufacturer, he pushes the brand to the customer. Most big dealers and modern retailers take the onus of installation of goods and providing service to the consumers upon themselves. So, in case a product develops faults, the consumer comes back to the dealer or the retailer, who in turn either rectifies the problem or sends it to the manufacturer. In this entire chain, the customer has no direct contact with the manufacturer; as Ajay Baijal, CEO, Reliance Digital, shares, “We have our own after-sales service program called Res-Q, and we also offer our own warranty in addition to the warranty offered by consumers.” X-Cite too has its own after sales service programme called Get Set Go. Stressing upon the need for great after-sales service for retaining customers, Gokhle of Impact Retail puts, “We cannot afford to lose our consumers especially on account of after-sales service...”

Even when it comes to marketing, dealers and retailers have joined hands with the companies. In order to enhance footfalls, dealers launch their own promotional discounts and schemes, as S. Rajendran, CMO, Acer India, reveals, “Our trade partners also come up with schemes to attract customers on their own and seek our participation in some of those initiatives too. We participated with Croma on their programs like ‘Back to School’, and with Home Solutions for their campaign on August 15, to make the most exciting offers available to consumers. Presently, we are engaged with Staples Future as partners in the ‘Tech Challenge’ which kickstarted on September 18.” Trained company salesmen assist dealers at the points-of-sale. Dealers at their own level also take measures to ensure sales, especially during the festive season when consumer spending is at its crest, as Kushal Negi, a multi-brand dealer in Delhi’s Yusuf Sarai Market puts it, “We send SMS messages, leaflets, pamphlets and even organise lucky draws to engage customers in large numbers.”

Then there are other means to delight the dealers as Prem Kumar, CEO, Fly Mobile, explains, “We train our dealers about the benefits of dual-sim enabled handsets. We are more of a technology enabler for our dealers,” to which V. Ramachandran, Director – Sales & Marketing, LG, adds, “We instill confidence in dealers by way of our services and work together on both monthly and quarterly basis. LG is very proactive when it comes to commission and transaction issues...” For sure, with the breeze of positivity blowing into our faces during festival time, the dealers will definitely give the companies, the reason to celebrate, and the white goods kings know this very well… Are consumers kings? Well, Deputy Kings surely!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
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Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
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Savreen Gadhoke takes you on a thrilling ride into the star-studded brand building initiatives that bike major Hero Honda took in the last one year...

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To power its brand activation on all fronts, the two-wheeler major also launched a slew of new brands and variants in order to create excitement around the brand. It realised that during the economic downturn, it’s difficult to play solely on pricing. So it embarked upon the strategy of new launches and set the ball rolling for Hero Honda’s 100cc Passion Pro Power Start, and introduced variants of Splendor NXG, CBZ & Pleasure. Now the two-wheeler czar aims to launch bikes in each segment unlike Bajaj, which has strong presence only in the premium segment with Bajaj Pulsar or TVS. Hero Honda, with over 15 models in its kitty, is present in all categories with CD Dawn & CD Deluxe gracing the entry level segments; Pleasure (targeted at women); and Karizma & CBZ Extreme positioned in the premium segment. If Super Splendor talks of mileage, Hunk & Achiever flaunt the style quotient.

The brand’s association with the sensational MTV Hero Honda Roadies – Hell Down Under and Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa also helped it garner buzz. Even though the profile of the youth targeted in both the shows was different, yet it played upon the aspirations of small town youth to make it big in a tough world. Hero Honda has also been quite active in promoting the brand at the regional front by co-sponsoring regional events like Miss Kerala 2009 for instance.

Besides, their rural campaign “Har gaon, har aangan” also did wonders to the company’s rural sales, which rose to double digit growth (yoy) in May. Adds Dua, “We instituted a dedicated rural vertical in late 2007 to bring all our rural initiatives under one umbrella with the vision of “Har Gaon Har Aangan”. This has further strengthened our presence in the rural market, with the contribution of rural sales to our total sales going up to 40% from about 37-38% three years back.”

Small surprise that Indian consumers have been giving this brand on wheels a big thumbs up so far. After all, winning the buzz war is half the battle won in ensuring first recall, then loyalty...

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
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Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
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