In an exclusive interaction with 4ps b&m, crispin reed argues that political advertising should be treated no differently from product based advertising
 
Do conventional advertising principles apply to political advertising campaigns? Should political brands be treated differently from regular brands?
Yes, I believe conventional advertising principles do apply by and large. Keep the message single minded, look to make an emotional connection with the electorate, give compelling supporting reasons to believe and entertain!

The advertising industry and marketers alike have come to a common understanding that the consumer has evolved. But have voters evolved?
Absolutely. Certainly in the West they have become incredible cynical. Equally, there is a lot of voter inertia. By that I mean that once voting habits have been established they are difficult to change. Much like loyalty to a particular brand.

If you were to look at voters as consumers, how would you segment them. What would be the characteristics of these different segments and what kind of political advertising would they respond to?
Building on my answer above, fundamentally, they divide in to die-hard loyalists and floaters who can still be persuaded. These segments can then be cross-referenced against demographic measures.

Now that you have segmented the typical voter and defined his/her characteristics, do you believe that current political ad campaigns cater constructively to the appetite of voters?
To a certain extent, political ad campaigns are different by market. In this respect there are important cultural norms at play. For example, in the US, with their vast financial resources behind them, the campaigns are typically aggressively competitive and personal. This is also true to a degree in the UK. However, British sensibilities mean that ‘consumers’ (voters) are actively put off if campaigns are seen to overstep the mark. Generally speaking, though, I would suggest that comparative and attack advertising should focus on policy not personality.

As is evident from the run up to the forthcoming presidential elections in the US, social media has emerged as an all important platform to fight out the war of the words. What defines a great social media campaign for elections?
Responding in real time. The upside of social media is that it is immediate. The flip side is that if there isn’t an immediate response or reaction to a particular issue this can work against the politician.

What about negative ads? Do people secretly enjoy them?
One of the ‘rules’ of consumer advertising is to concentrate on the positive. For example, avoid having words such as ‘not’ in the headline. If you are going to run negative ads they have to be especially clever.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

SC slams AICTE's illicit control on MBA courses
MBA, MCA courses no longer under AICTE
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
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Samsung's surge in mobile handsets has enabled it to take the lead over Lg after years of being a laggard. What should Lg's response be?
 
One fairly interesting advertisement on TV shows a model taking out a cube of ice from her refrigerator. Simultaneously a large block of ice is seen being dropped into Antartica, which leads to a fresh new ice cover & a number of rejoicing penguins. Similarly, it depicts how water saved from a washing machine results in massive afforestation, and how a microwave’s technology replicates the sun in terms of keeping food fresh and nutritious.

On the other hand, we have an advertisement of a mobile handset, which professes to be ‘built for humans, inspired by nature’. Users can talk to this mobile and tell it to wake up, look at pictures of friends and immediately have access to their Facebook statuses, share content by simply holding phones back to back and mirror their phone displays to the big screen wirelessly among other features.

As avid industry watchers would instantly recall, the former is a corporate branding advertisement for LG, which talks about how its refrigerators, washing machines and microwaves are saving the planet and also providing benchmark performance. The other is a recent advertisement for Samsung Galaxy SIII, which was launched in India in May this year.

The roughly Rs.1.2 trillion Indian consumer durables (including the Rs.550 billion mobile retail market) has been nearly synonymous with LG and Samsung in post-liberalisation years. The South Korean chaebols entered India in mid-1990s, and continue to control over one-third of this market together. However, ads like the ones mentioned above mark remarkable positioning shifts for both LG (whose logo is a visual depiction of its core Life’s Good theme) and Samsung (whose logo represents a company moving step in step with a fast changing world). Earlier, they were both synonymous with a very high price-performance ratio – technology that was aspirational (though not comparable to the likes of Sony & Pansonic then) at prices well within reach of the Indian middle class. Now, as these ads signify, both have moved up the technology ladder and seek respect for their products per se, be it for intuitive & ‘ahead of the curve’ technology or for planet saving features. They would not want to be associated with the ‘price leader’ label, and neither do they display their previous zeal for attractive festive season promotions. More remarkably, the status quo in their sensational and headline grabbing rivalry has also been turned on its head of late.

LG raced ahead initially with an extensive distribution strategy. However, it lost momentum post 2010. Circa 2011 saw Samsung gunning past LG for the first time in India and the gulf has only widened since. LG could grow by hardly over 1% yoy to Rs.162 billion in 2011, while Samsung grew by 25% yoy to reach Rs.200 billion. In the TV space, Samsung overtook LG in flat panel sales last year. Thanks largely to their dominance in home appliances, LG (7th) maintains a higher position compared to Samsung (12th) in the ‘4Ps B&M Most Valuable Brands’ survey. However, Samsung is gaining mind share fast, and in the critical mobile segment, it’s a virtual ‘no contest’. While Samsung (25.3% share) is second only to Nokia (38.2% share) in overall mobile handset sales, LG is a distant 8th with market share of 2.5% for FY 2011-12 (CMR data). The importance of the mobile handsets division to Samsung can be gauged from the fact that the division already contributes around 55% to the company’s India revenues. Katyayan Gupta, analyst with Forrester Research, adds, “LG is not that fast in bringing its global launches in India, and hence is not able to capitalise on the initial hype created, especially in the mobile phone space.”

Meanwhile, both players face significant competition in different sub-segments. Already, Voltas has overtaken LG in AC sales as per GFK-Nielsen data in May 2012, and players like Hitachi & Carrier are gaining share. In the washing machine and refrigerator segments, specialised players like IFB, Whirlpool & Godrej pose a potent threat. In fact, Gupta feels that the home appliances and durables market in India has for long been a two-player (LG & Samsung) market, and there is a scope for another big player. It is felt that if FDI in multi-brand retail opens up, there could be even more competition, particularly from American and Japanese players.

The response of both our Korean giants to this competition will determine how well they consolidate and grow their position hereon. As far as their mutual rivalry is concerned, one option for LG is to come up with a very strong response in the mobile space. But considering how they’ve failed to penetrate it since 2004, and the division has seen six different heads in the six years, it looks daunting. LG has launched just one smartphone this year so far. At that pace, perhaps the division doesn’t merit the attention of the company. So the other option, really, for LG, would be to go back to its core competencies and focus on what it does best. That might, in fact, give it a better chance of turning the tables once again, if at all.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

SC slams AICTE's illicit control on MBA courses
MBA, MCA courses no longer under AICTE
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
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IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
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IIPM Global Exposure
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Vipul Mehrotra, who heads Nokia India’s smart devices division talks about his company’s plans with the windows phone operating system
 
A close look at Nokia’s releases in recent months indicates that the company is focusing on launching higher-resolution cameras in its Symbian phones, and better gaming or music app in its Window Phone 7-based Lumia phones. Is that so?

I don’t subscribe to that view. Even in the Lumia range that includes Lumia 800, 710 and 610, much attention has been paid to delivering a superior imaging system. So we have got imaging, location services and entertainment bundled in the Lumia range, apart from social and gaming experiences. On the other hand, Symbian OS is not new generation and we plan to phase it out over time.

How has the response to the highly anticipated and premium product, the 41 mega pixel-carrying Nokia PureView 808 handset, been?

I can’t give you any sales numbers as of now, but what I can share is that it’s creating lot of buzz on the blogosphere and social media platforms. Many enthusiasts are buying this phone and posting pictures taken from a PureView camera which has a high-quality Carl Zeiss lens.

In recent months, on one hand while you launched a Symbian OS-based feature phone (the Asha), you also launched a Windows-powered phone. Then you created a separate category called PureView on the Symbian Belle OS. Don’t these cross-category launches cannibalise each other’s sales?

It’s not the game of one operating system harming another. Why? It’s the truly differentiated experience you give to the consumers that matter. PureView has a role to play as the flagship imaging device with a 41 MP camera, while Lumias are our smartphones. Each category has its own weight.

How has slowdown been affecting sales of Nokia India in recent times?

I think the introduction of new devices, new experiences and giving existing consumers upgrades in the form of some great software apps, have only taken us higher.

In the past, we would generally have advertisement and marketing initiatives based on new handset models. Now we see that focus of the ATL campaigns are more on OS platforms. Is that correct?

To an extent, I would again differ in opinion. At the highest level, say the premium category, the focus of marketing is still on the experience delivery. But when it comes to communicating to the market about new product launches based on a particular OS, then we get to see more talk about that OS.
 
And how about the future of Lumia and Symbian phones?

We announced in February last year that going forward, the Lumia platform will be our flagship smartphone range. That’s my answer still. Within 6 months of our announcement then, we had two Lumia devices in the market. We’ve expanded the portfolio to four now. Three of them are already in India, we will launch the fourth one soon too. We know that it’s a winning strategy for us. The Microsoft Marketplace app store saw a 1,000% increase in activity y-o-y during the last quarter – that shows the confidence of app community and consumers in our smartphone range.

Going forward, how will Nokia work towards building value of the brand as a handset maker?

A lot of competition is happening in apps. But, we have started to focus on the experience of our users. This differentiated app-ecosystem will build on Nokia’s brand and sales in the Indian market. So we have a more comprehensive strategy in action, based on scale, price points, distribution and marketplace with our ecosystem partners.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

SC slams AICTE's illicit control on MBA courses
MBA, MCA courses no longer under AICTE
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page

IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail

IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
No more a wanted brand, nokia is working to charm app-loving consumers like apple and samsung are. in 2011 it couldn’t. can it this year?
 
Back in the early 2000s, Indians didn’t buy a mobile phone. They bought a Nokia. Not anymore.

Competition has chipped away at Nokia’s citadel sans remorse since the first half of the previous decade. From over 75% market share in India in 2006 and over 70% in 2007 (in terms of volume sales), Nokia’s share fell to 54.1% in 2009 (as per IDC) and to a lower 39.0% in 2011 (as per Voice & Data). 2012 has been more unforgiving. As per GfK-Nielsen data, for Q1, 2012, the Finnish giant’s share in the country fell to 36.9%. Here’s a quick check on how Nokia’s brand image has accompanied its diminishing sales in the journey downhill: six years back, in 4Ps B&M’s Most Valuable Brands ranking Nokia was the 3rd most valuable brand in the country. In 2012, it is at no. 73. A long fall you would reckon. Indeed.

So what got the better of Nokia? It is to be remembered that Nokia became a success in India not only because of its strong distribution partnerships, but investments in innovation and brand-building too. More than anything, it was the brand recall and the small surprises from Nokia that made Indian buyers happy. All this has changed over the past couple of years. Little wonder that from being the leader globally a year back by a handsome margin, Nokia has today been relegated to the #2 spot by rival Samsung (with a 23.5% share as opposed to Nokia’s 20.8%; source: IDC Worldwide mobile phone tracker).

The story of the fall of Nokia, the dramatic revival of Samsung, and the advent of Apple can be told in the same breath. Post-2009, Samsung and Apple moved on with the times. Nokia chose to run backwards. The ambush of smartphones in 2010, highlighted by launches like the 3G version of the iPhone series, and Samsung’s Android-based Galaxy range, saw the beginning of the end of Nokia’s misery drive on the outdated, bug-laden Symbian and MeeGo platforms. When 2010 ended, Nokia seemed to be headed nowhere.

Lost for words and stuck in an ecosystem marked by snowballing demands from smartphone users in the form of more user-friendly app stores and higher quality operating softwares, Nokia made a smart move early last year (February 2011) – a quick patch-up with Microsoft in its attempt to surf the smartphone tide on the Windows Phone 7 (WP7) version surfboard. It was decided that Symbian and other OS platforms would be wounded up over the course of two years as they were failing to compete with Android and iOS. It was a different shot at survival for Nokia. With the deal, it tried to revive its chances of changing a future that appeared discouraging owing to declining profits and brand value. It agreed to sell WP7 across wider price points and in more number of markets. In Q4, 2011, Nokia shipped its new smartphone innovation – the Lumia range. The company also spent over Rs.200 crore ($40 million) in marketing and advertising to create awareness about the Lumia launch (globally it spent $300 million together with AT&T and Microsoft). Posters of the smartphone flooded the Delhi Metro stations, and popular public places in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore et al. The ATL campaign, “The Amazing Everyday”, included a helicopter ride for consumers in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, an interaction with tennis star Sania Mirza at Ambience Mall in Gurgaon, a dance performance by a foreign troupe in Mumbai, a musical event in Delhi, and even toll exemptions for more than 15,000 cars at DND Freeway connecting Delhi and Noida. Even a Lumia Sky Party was organised where winners from a Facebook contest were taken for a free 45 minute ride in a Lumia branded Jet Airways plane. But the outcome was not pleasing.
 
Even until Q1, 2012, the new OS-based phone had failed to amuse buyers. Bad news. For every Lumia handset that was sold by Nokia in the past quarter, it was selling five (destined-to-be-killed) Symbian OS handsets. Nokia did succeed in creating a buzz with its Lumia 800 smartphone – but even in a market where the smartphone category has been growing at a rate of 87% y-o-y (in 2011), the new launch has failed to entertain prospective buyers. Vendors have called the Lumia range overpriced and a product that lacks innovation. Unlike the “iPhone killer” it was touted to be a few months before launch, the product has seen industry watchers complain of battery issues, software glitches and a lack of solid marketing. Translation: when everything about the Lumia – from the hardware to its advertising – is a problem, how could it improve Nokia’s brand value? As expected, it didn’t.

If 2012 is to be different, Nokia has to deal with multiple challenges. First, it has to increase meaningful advertising activity multifold and soon. No one walks into a store today to buy a Windows Phone. So Nokia has to first get consumers to believe that Nokia is good and Windows is good. Second, the company has to work out a way to get its consumers tuning-in to the Microsoft Marketplace (app and media store) that appears to have absorbed Nokia’s Ovi store for no good. Third, it has to get a good deal done with Microsoft to ensure that “property” problems are not shared. Two examples: Bing has 1.27% of the search engine market .The WP7 loaded Nokia runs Bing and not Google which controls over 97% of the Indian search market. Zune music player was a failure in India (and US). The WP7 OS has preloaded Zune player and music store.

Android and iOS handsets are bestsellers today because they do what Nokia doesn’t at present – engage users. Blame Lumia or Nokia if you will for not having spiced up its WP7 offering, but Lumia hasn’t helped Nokia’s numbers. Twelve months back (Q1, 2011; data by IDC), Nokia’s smartphone market share was 23.6% and it was the world’ no.1 smartphone seller (far ahead of Apple, RIM and Samsung which had shares of 18.3%, 13.6% and 11.3% respectively). This year (Q1, 2012), Nokia’s share in this segment has fallen hard and fast to 8.2%, while that of Samsung (the new #1) has increased to 29.1% and Apple (#2) to 24.2%. Lumia hasn’t been the magic potion it was believed. It hasn’t done much good to Nokia’s brand value either.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

SC slams AICTE's illicit control on MBA courses
MBA, MCA courses no longer under AICTE
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page

IIPM Global Exposure
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IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Now that consumers have evolved, it’s getting more and more difficult to sustain a brand. here’s what marketers should be doing
 
Even with the best efforts, brands land up in situations which are not best for them. Airlines did not intend to be in the red. Political ideologies are not formed to be overthrown, movies are not made to fail at the box office, and iconic individuals don’t intent to fall from grace. Most of us believe that our brands are infallible, employee cynicism apart. Some brands tread a seemingly successful path yet fail in the marketplace. In the year 2010, it is estimated that over 67% of the products launched globally in five key industries – consumer electronics, non-durables, banking and IT have failed to achieve the estimated level of financial success.

How did this happen? The best of minds coupled with the greatest vintage of people, most effective tools and methodologies seem to fail. When movies expected to be blockbusters fail, everyone seems to ask – did the film-maker not see the obvious? In retrospect, everything is obvious and ‘should’ have been intuitive. Why was this not seen before the event occurred or a campaign launched?

Is there a risk mitigation plan which brands can formulate so that they do not paint a dirty picture in the future? Possibly. A study of successful as well as failed brands throws up some patterns that brands could identify and avoid.

Being too functional/ tactical: In an effort to up the ante on value delivery, brands can make the mistake of being too tactical or reactive. The messaging could almost be like that of a hammer, which says my brand can strike and strike very hard if you want, at anything. What is wrong with that? Are we not supposed to be selling a benefit anyway. True, but an over-repeated and mindless effort to drive home an attractive but narrow functionality can be counterproductive. Functionalities of a brand should go hand in hand with the emotional benefits it can offer. An emotional connect fortifies a long-term connection with customers. Not just that, but future roadmaps for the product are also established with an emotional connect, serving as a bond even when the current functionality is no more a differentiator. Compare Apple with other hardware brands. Most other brands focus on cost, technological superiority, while Apple focuses on design that dazzles customers. Therefore the market has segmented itself as Apple and Others. Does anyone check iPad 2’s specifications? No. Because in the customers’ minds it is above comparison and scrutiny, reflecting a strong bond of trust that the brand has built with the customers.

Keeping the brand caged up for too long: In a typical brand journey, there is a phase of maturity. At this stage, the brand seeks to extend, diversify into variants, acquire other brands etc. There are two crucial questions in the brand managers’ minds at this stage:

1.Should the brand seek further growth? 2.At what stage should the brand expand to seek new horizons?
 
These are tough ones to answer! Some brands seek to stay put, convinced that there is no need for the extra effort to grow or that any such attempt is inherently risky. This move might lock up the brand for a significantly longer period of time beyond what the conscience keepers of the brand envisaged. Consider the Indian Railways. For the last 20 years, the largest employer in the world has not expanded beyond being a brand which transports people and goods. Why can’t the Railways recast itself into a great services brand? The vacation and leisure market in India has expanded 17 times in the last 10 years. Why is Indian Railways not seeking to be the best holidays brand given it’s omnipresence across the country and access to all the tourism development departments? Guess the answer to this is that the brand managers of Indian Railway have caged up the brand and locked it into a corner by saying “we are Indian Railways and we will have metal coaches running on metal tracks.”

Trap of mundane products: Great brands grow by earning revenues and profits from newer products which take current footprints to newer opportunities. But some brands, very curiously, seem to prefer launching products in saturated markets. One obvious reason for this is that matured markets offer stability and predictability and the ‘guaranteed’ 3% growth. But this can affect the brand’s body language significantly. For instance, LG, a manufacturer of electronic consumer durables launched a series of products in the consumer goods market, while its competitor Samsung was working on innovating LCD TVs and next generation tablets. Why was LG trying to chase product lines which were facing saturations for more than two decades? Does LG have the brand equity in the Indian market to be able to successfully market these products? Not sure.

Not investing in innovation: This is linked to the pitfall mentioned above. When brands cannot or have not invested in innovation, they gravitate to playing the price game, constantly slashing the prices of their products. Discounts, freebies and constant price-led promotions only convey to the consumers – “I am cheap”. A case in point is the Indian mobile telephone market. While brands like Samsung and Nokia were investing in innovating on the product, most domestic brands were focusing on reducing the cost and thereby the price of their offerings. While the temptation to tap into the sub-Rs.3000 market is obvious, a point to ponder will be – where does the brand create a surplus to add new features, new designs? An enhanced feature today is a must-have tomorrow. Touch screen phones are typical examples of this.

Following competition: Industry benchmarking is good as long it helps contextualise business performance. But a feature by feature comparison and consequent ‘reverse’ engineering efforts, are nothing but blindly following the competition. Very rarely, can a brand exactly replicate what works for another brand. Each brand has its unique DNA which can rarely be copied. Secondly, even if this is achieved, customers rarely embrace followers. In the Indian IT industry, Infosys always positioned itself as an industry leader, pioneering path breaking corporate governance measures, unique employee engagement activities and purposeful PR. The clear advantage for Infosys was its ability to always command a price premium over the competition.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

SC slams AICTE's illicit control on MBA courses
MBA, MCA courses no longer under AICTE
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page

IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail

IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
While the 4Ps b&M list of india’s most valuable brands celebrates stardom, there are others who need encouragement for the promise and potential they have. 4Ps b&M handpicks a few of them who have dared to take on the market challenges and may make it big in coming times. here’s a quick look...
 
ARIHANT SUPERSTRUCTURES LTD

A leading realtor from Mumbai, Arihant Group is known for their key role in transforming Navi Mumbai’s skyline. The almost 25-year old company is known for its passion for adhering to promised timelines. The realty major is expanding at a rapid pace today with a slew of projects coming in various parts of the country including the National Capital Region (NCR). Arihant’s ambitions are evident in the fact that it was ranked 161 in 400 small cap companies by Dalal Street last year. The vision of the company is to grow consistently at around 50% over the next five to seven years.
 
Pitambari
If you understand the Indian consumer’s mindset, rest assured that your consumer goods brand will grow. That is indeed the case with Pitambari Products Pvt. Ltd., which has been in the business of consumer brands ranging from home care and health care to agri-care and health for over two decades. This home-grown brand has gradually become one of the trusted names among consumer products available at affordable prices in India. Founded by Ravindara Prabhudesai, the ISO 9001:2001 certified company has five manufacturing units across the country and operates in 19 different states boasting a consumer segment comprising nearly three million users.

Asian Granito India Ltd.
Established in the year 2000, Asian Granito India Ltd. (AGIL) has emerged as a Rs.700 crore giant in the Indian space décor industry and is moving forward as one of the fastest growing ceramic companies in the segment today. AGIL aims to “lead the change” through its first mover advantage. To capitalise on the same, the company last year launched ‘digital polished vitrified tiles’ in India, bringing a revolution to the market segment. The flooring accommodates digital printing and substitute natural marble by providing hassles free installation.
 
Sangam Suitings

In the present day ultra-competitve market it’s tough for companies to provide quality and maintain it all along. But that has been the core value that drives Sangam Suitings. Since inception in 1985, the company has worked at bringing value to their customers by providing quality products through superior raw material and better finishing of for fabrics and using. Buoyed by its success, the company is now set to enter the ready to wear market later this year and hopes to create the same magic in this segment. It aims to prove that a quality product need not necessarily be expensive.

UnIglobe Keshav Travel
Technology is making travellers more informed than ever. They expect the very best wherever they go and whatever they do. Small surprise that the tour & travel industry is becoming more demanding by the day. And there are a few names, including Uniglobe Keshav Travel, which have been living up to these high consumer expectations. The decade old company, affiliated to the world’s largest single brand travel network Uniglobe Travel, boasts of a network comprising more than 700 locations worldwide. Focussed on savings and service, their tech-enabled service efficiencies have given them a slew of happy clients - both corporate & leisure.
 
Kesari tours
A lot of emotions are at stake when people travel. In an industry where customer service plays a larger-than-life role, Kesari Tours has ensured that it delivers its best every time. Known for their innovations, the Kesari group, which started operations way back in 1984, is well respected for its ‘hold on’ group tours. This offers something or the other to every traveler in the group depending on budget and preference. Perhaps this is one of the main driving behind high customer loyalty that they enjoy.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

SC slams AICTE's illicit control on MBA courses
MBA, MCA courses no longer under AICTE
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page

IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail

IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
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Here’s a LOOK into how the top five brands of various categories have fared in 4Ps B&M’s 100 Most Valuable Brands LISTING (FIGURES REPRESENTS OVERALL RANK)

Here are the five parameters that decided the ranks within the list of 4Ps B&M India’s 100 Most Valuable Brands. Given additionally are the weights within these parameters earned by the brands.

Brand Awareness
When they revamped their identity brand pundits frowned on the idea, but despite all the criticism surrounding their new logo brand Airtel proudly made it to the top
Considering that new entrants, both in terms of domestic and global brands, continue to overcrowd the Indian market across sectors including telecom, financial services, consumer goods et al, it becomes challenging for brands to create strong awareness across the board. However, owing to their clutter-breaking marketing campaigns and product offerings, a few brands like Airtel, TATA, Maruti, Microsoft, et al, have made inroads into the consumer psyche and have further built on the same to create a greater value for the brand and reinforce recall and perception.

Brand Image & Perception
Brand TATA rules the roost, irrespective of setbacks like the JLR and Corus acquisitions
The brand image and perception ratings prove our findings that consumers favour legacy brands over non-legacy brands. Take TATA and Airtel for instance. While TATA has been around for centuries altogether, Airtel was one of the first private sector telecom service provider which spearheaded the Indian telecom revolution. Airtel’s top of the mind brand image & perception might be attributed to the year long ‘Har ek friend zaroori hota hai’ campaign which clicked with the Indian youth.
 
Brand Loyalty
The Nano magic perhaps...
The unprecedented proliferation of brands has resulted in a cluttered market place and consumers spoilt for choice. As such, keeping consumers loyal to a brand seems just next to impossible, more so for the options available to them. However, brands like TATA, Airtel, SBI and LG are a few names which still enjoy a very high level of loyalty amongst consumers – some reasons could be legacy (TATA), value proposition (Airtel), trust (SBI), years of usage (TOI).

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

SC slams AICTE's illicit control on MBA courses
MBA, MCA courses no longer under AICTE
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page

IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
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IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

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The Web 2.0 revolution promises to be just as important a driver of productivity growth as automation was in the 19th and 20th centuries
 
Corporate bureaucracies are on their way to extinction. A new organisational form is emerging that will break down walls and bring people together, and in doing so, capture new opportunities and develop innovative solutions.

This statement – repeated often as Web 2.0 evangelists preach that corporate adoption of social media tools will trigger an e-ruption of creativity, innovation and productivity at work – was actually made just over 40 years ago by Alvin Toffler in his groundbreaking book, Future Shock. In the intervening decades, one thought leader after another has made similar predictions.

Toffler’s forecasts – about how information technology would soon revolutionise knowledge management in organisation – never lived up to their hype in the 1970s or 80s. That, however, didn’t stop Jim Maxmin, CEO of Thorn EMI, from proclaiming at the end of the 1980s: “In the last decade, excellence in business meant doing one thing well. In the decade to come, you will have to do everything well, and do it everywhere. The image of the corporation as a pyramid is dead. The new corporation will be more like a hologram, with shared information making each person, each part, contain the whole.”

The future has finally arrived. What’s different this time around is that a broader consensus seems to be forming. Web technology has crossed a tipping point and is now truly global and on the verge of becoming accessible to all. What’s more, companies are finally beginning to realise this: following initial foot-dragging, many are now actively embracing Web 2.0 tools. In a recent McKinsey survey, more than two-thirds of respondents admitted to using social media tools in their companies. The revolution, it seems, is finally happening. But revolutions can be as disruptive as they are empowering. To quote Tapscott from Wikinomics: “The new participation (brought about by Web 2.0 adoption) will also cause great upheaval, dislocation and danger for societies, corporations and individuals that fail to keep up with the relentless change.” Clearly, if the e-revolution is indeed happening, then executives urgently need to rethink how they structure, organise and manage their companies. Their success in doing so will determine whether their companies ride the crest of the revolution or are swept away by it.

Towards the Networked Enterprise
The broad adoption of social media tools has the potential to unleash a huge transformation in the way companies operate, resulting in a wide range of benefits including enhanced collective knowledge and greater innovation. Following are four key ways in which Web 2.0 tools are transforming organisations.

Increased collaboration: In its report, McKinsey found that when companies incorporate social media across the organisation, “information is shared more readily and less hierarchically, collaboration across silos is more common, and tasks are more often tackled in a project-based fashion.” This should not come as a surprise. One of the major benefits of the networked structure is that it increases information sharing within-and-among disparate departments and divisions.

A democracy of talents: Deployed across organisations, Web 2.0 software constructs open-ended platforms on which, in theory, everyone is equal. Employees working in such a setting are much more likely to openly share ideas and information exclusively for the benefit of the organisation as a whole – something that is rare in hierarchical organisations.
 
A culture of trust: With the rise of Web 2.0-enabled corporations, workers at all levels of the organisation have a much greater say in the day-to-day running of the company, while also enjoying the benefits of a culture of transparency. This, in turn, engenders stronger feelings of loyalty and trust amongst employees. Sadly, many companies still seem to have an instinctive fear of social media in the workplace. In a 2011 study by Robert Half Technology, more than one out of three CIOs surveyed said that their firms did not allow employees to use social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter. Some employees are even getting sacked when caught logging onto social networking sites at work. Such blind resistance to social media adoption – while understandable – is not only counterproductive, but also highly risky.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail

IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
Planman Technologies
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM: Selection Process
IIPM: Research and Publications
IIPM MBA Institute India

IIPM Contact Info

IIPM History
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Monojit Lahiri investigates some thing that is grabbing public attention – the curious case of... Vagina Whitener
 
For some time now, concerned consumers and ad-watchers have been getting increasingly worried about the frat crossing boundaries and hitting erogenous zones where even angels (should, but no longer?) fear to tread! Holding up the Lux Cozy and Amul Macho ads as earlier examples apart from the tons of sexist deodorant ads and of course the scores of whitening creams, they continue to remain anxious, often protesting vehemently against the way the Persuasion Industry is trying to seduce the impressionable, unguarded and aspirational sections of our mahaan Bharat into promising them a more fulfilling, confident and rewarding life if they embrace the products advertised. In its effort to keep pace with India’s ever changing profile and fashionable definition of an ancient civilisation, which is also a young and modern nation, are the ad guys getting a bit too carried away and overdoing it by adventurously crossing the Lakshman Rekha and touching areas best left untouched? Or are we, due to traditional conditioning, being a little too touchy and forgetting that this is year 2012, and the blitz and exposure of new-age media to a techno-savvy youngistan renders this a non-issue?

A new TVC along the skin-lightening-product segment for a product called Clean & Dry Intimate Wash even promises Indian women protection, freshness (and most importantly) fairness “down there”! The commercial shows a young couple relaxing in their house. The man is shown reading a newspaper while the attractive wife – or whoever! – pouts, unhappy at being ignored. Reason? Her dark-coloured privates! Providence steps in, in the form of Clean & Dry Intimate Wash, ostensibly whitening the parts that seemed to have earlier cast a shadow over the guy’s inner view of the young lady and bingo, suddenly aal izz well! Pout disappears, break-up averted, newspaper flung aside to (undoubtedly) explore and enjoy some real whitening-strikes moments!

There’re too many questions that hit one when such an advertising hits the ceiling. Where do we stand on such in-the-face ads? Isn’t there an LoC that the product’s positioning is crossing? But then, how is such a product expected to be launched or marketed? One possibly cannot expect a simple word-of-mouth campaign, can one? And if the product is legal, then why have any hassles on the marketing of such a product? Are we going through the same wave of astonishment that one saw years ago when condoms were marketed in a savvy manner by Kamasutra as opposed to the politically correct yet moribund manner in which Nirodh was advertised?

When invited to comment, political journalist Mahua Chatterjee admits she’s tempted “to laugh hysterically so that she may not weep!” She soon gets serious and unleashes a series of posers. “Who are these guys creating these ads or manufacturing these products? Clearly a lot of us are totally disconnected from their radar! Is this their professional version of marketing which decrees: find a gap and fill it? In their drive to sell a product, is nothing sacred, safe or out of bounds? In the crazed rush to grab eyeballs, is titillation of any kind permissible? What about social responsibility, good taste, style & class?” questions Mahua. Then, tongue-in-cheek, the journo enquires why despite a zillion face-whitening products for men “nothing like Intimate Wash has been dedicated to their, er, penile space?”
 
Actress Moon Moon Sen, after a hearty laugh, offers discrete perspectives. “Sometimes, some ads – even if uncomfortable – are necessary. We live in a society where women (mothers & daughters) don’t always know about a lot of stuff, and doctors or professionals who do, hesitate to communicate these facts, due to mental conditioning, rendering them taboo. Unfortunately, many of these are necessary for a woman’s well-being. However, a vaginal whitening cream doesn’t remotely come in that category and does strain the imagination! A douche or cream for infection is understandable but...”

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail

IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
Planman Technologies
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM: Selection Process
IIPM: Research and Publications
IIPM MBA Institute India

IIPM Contact Info

IIPM History
IIPM Think Tank
IIPM Infrastructure
IIPM Info


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Harjot Singh, Narang Branch Head, Dentsu Marcom
 
What mandate were you given when you joined Dentsu?

These were Rohit’s exact words when I met him for this position, “Build an agency, which is solid, sustainable and admirable.” None of this was about profitability. He never gave me a profit or a number target. The objective was to create an agency that is sustainable and charged up so that it automatically delivers better than anyone else that the client could choose.

You lay a lot of emphasis on hiring the right people. But how do you put that into action?
We don’t hire people who live in a uni-dimensional area or in a clichéd area. You pick and choose what you want and then strengthen the teams to run independently. We allow them to make mistakes but also to learn and to keep the attitude of “I just have to do it”. Moreover we have devised simple brainstorming techniques. For example as a rule, the first ten ideas you put down on a piece of paper are all the clichés coming out of your head, so those get rejected immediately. Between the 11th to 15th idea, something nice can come out. And if you can reach between the 15th and 18th idea, you surely have something great. Nobody has ever been able to fly a plane or run a ship with a single push. You need to keep pushing hard to get the wheels moving.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned Links

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail

IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
Planman Technologies
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM: Selection Process
IIPM: Research and Publications
IIPM MBA Institute India

IIPM Contact Info

IIPM History
IIPM Think Tank
IIPM Infrastructure
IIPM Info