An ad is a product of painstaking craftsmanship. Various elements, ranging from positioning of the product, clarity of the idea behind the product to visibility of the brand, its persona and the power of communication have to be intelligently weaved together. But while some ads manage to rewrite preset creative benchmarks, some go the wrong way, fall by the side & fail to excite viewers. In this section, we review three ads that came out tops, for the right and the wrong reasons this fortnight.

Pak pak... duh...

Advertiser: McDonald’s
Baseline: I’m Lovin’ Pak Pak
Agency: Leo Burnett India

4Ps B&M Take: This one makes all the right noises. Actually for some, it may even be the noisiest ad still. There is so much of ‘pak pak’ in the air that for a moment you’re seriously tempted to look around and check if you have landed yourself into a giant chicken coop. The campaign for McEggs – the new egg burger launched by McDonald’s to cater to the chunk of ‘eggetarian’ consumers in India – has guys and girls clucking like chicken after getting a taste of the burger. One ad has a local hip hop group going ‘pak pak’; another has a choir straining its vocal chords to ‘pak pak’ and yet another has youngsters breaking into ‘pak pak’ in a college library, in a bus, and so on. The agency has attempted to replace the ‘wow’ factor after eating the burger to people emitting chicken-like sounds. Some situations also tickle the funny bone, like the one in which a youngster breaks into ‘pak pak’ giving himself away at a hunger protest. The ad loudly declares that the treat is available for just Rs. 25 – a good lure for the price conscious lovers of McDonald’s burgers. Unfortunately, the ad is too noisy and while it may be good to shout info about McDonalds’ new launch from the rooftops, everyone may not really appreciate the jarring ‘pak pak’. The team at McDonald’s is going all out to populate the ad across channels believing McEggs to be their new money spinner. But hey, give us a break people. What’s the big deal for all that noise? It’s just a sunny-side-up egg preparation tossed into buns. With bread and egg combos available at every nukkad shop and dhaba across the country, it’s really not such a path breaking novelty that it deserves so much of nerve-grating ‘pak pak’.
 
It’s a thief! yawn

Advertiser: Godrej Securities
Baseline: Darna Kaisa
Agency: JWT Mumbai

4Ps B&M Take: A big criterion for any advertising to be effective is that it should be believable. Some say that brands should weave in some product features into their ads, but that it should be done only in cases where it makes the promised benefits believable. Sadly, often all such caution is sacrificed on the altar of creativity or to induce forced humour into a storyboard. Something similar seems to have happened with the ad for Godrej Security Solutions where a couple are rudely awakened from their sleep when they hear burglars inside their home. But then they promptly stuff cotton wool into their ears and go back to sleep believing they have nothing to fear because they have a high-tech Godrej Home Safe which cannot be broken open. First, nobody in their right mind would ignore such night time intruders into their home, even if their safe was guarded by security guards paid for by the Reserve Bank of India. Okay, one can even ignore that on the pretext of creative license. But how can you ignore the product category of safety solutions which requires a high dose of consumer trust to remain relevant. The ad ideally should have been splattered with cutting edge features and technology which make Godrej homes safes more trustworthy than others in the category. If Godrej is still relying on their age-old brand image of being the market leader in the segment, today’s competitive market place will not waste much time in showing them the reality of their fool’s paradise.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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There are ads, and then there are those 10 that have personified the concept of how branding can be made to work for the product most efficiently and effectively. From creativity to brand recall, from concept to execution, these 10 advertisements have gotten our attention; thanks to the commitment of the teams that created them. We present you with our review of the top three ads.

What’s yours is mine

Advertiser: Airtel Internet
Baseline: "Jo Tera Hai Wo Mera Hai"
Agency: Taproot India

4Ps B&M Take: Well friends, they seem to have done it again. Taproot created waves with their ‘Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai’ (HFZ) jingle for brand Airtel last August. So when we heard that they were working on a similar ‘friendship theme’ for another communiqué for the telco this August, we were pretty certain that they would not be able to better HFZ which became a rage among youngsters. But guess Taproot India just loves to prove us wrong. You can accuse the new jingle – released on 5th August Friendship Day – and its execution of being ‘inspired’ by the previous one, but it is just as catchy, as natty and as groovy as they come. And more pertinently, it is highly relevant to the target audience with just the right dose of consumer insight woven around the concept of sharing. Cashing in on the current fashion among the young and the young at heart to ‘share’ everything online with their friends, acquaintances and everyone else, the very-hummable jingle supports the core promise of Airtel Internet to enable easy sharing and staying connected with friends online via mobile phones. The accompanying visuals – youngsters having fun on an open-top bus in Mumbai rains, constantly sharing pics and updates via social media – are simple yet provocative and endorse the core promise. Not understated and classy, this one’s loud and in your face – but in a way that wows!
 
Aam aadmi’s paatshala

Advertiser: Kaun Banega Crorepati
Baseline: “Gyan Hi Aapko Aapka Haq Dilata Hai”
Agency: Leo Burnett India

4Ps B&M Take: When the inimitable Mr. Bachchan really sets out to woo the junta, Sony Entertainment Television need only sit back and watch the returns literally jingle their way in. Last year Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) Season 5 promos became the most recalled promos on the idiot box. If the first few promos released this year are any yardstick, Season 6 promises to be no different. This year the reigning theme to woo viewers back to the million dollar quiz show is about how knowledge is the great leveler in a nation riddled with social and economic inequalities. Even better, the message is not delivered in the usual somber mood as is the norm for such socially relevant communications. Instead, laced with superbly crafted storyboards and a dash of understated satire, the promos pack a punch. So one promo has Hindi-medium educated Bhaskar gunning all his life for the big prizes in friends, love and career, but eventually making the cut of acceptability only by showcasing his knowledge and winning a big KBC booty; another weaves itself around the concept of the unwanted girl child and how she gives it back to society by doling out the right answers on the sets of KBC; and yet another has the son of an economically underprivileged father – always losing out to sons of the ‘bade baap’ (rich fathers) – and how he makes his ‘poor’ father proud by flaunting his common sense on KBC. It’s tough to keep viewers coming back for a quiz show each year. But the drama and benefit focus in successive KBC promos are half the job done anyway.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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ICMR-4Ps B&M brings to you inet, a comprehensive ranking of India's Most popular websites after a thorough and comprehensive analysis with research inputs from primary as well as secondary sources
 
4Ps Business & Marketing magazine, in association with Indian Council for Market Research (ICMR), conducted a perception survey among Internet users to identify India’s most popular websites. Here’s how we did it:

FIRST PHASE:

The first phase of the research was initiated with a single question to the respondents, “Which are your top five most preferred websites?”
This survey was conducted among 1,000 respondents across India namely Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. The respondents included students, housewives, working professionals and others to generate a list of preferred websites across various categories. Based on the frequency of responses, the websites were first sorted and placed into their respective categories. The following is the list of categories covered under the survey.

SECOND PHASE:
As per the table given above, 23 broad categories were taken into consideration for the next phase of the survey. In order to conduct one-on-one interviews, structured questionnaires were designed. The research was conducted in five major cities of India – New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai; with an aggregate sample size of 1,089 respondents.

The respondent profile varied across different categories with their respective age groups, gender and education levels. Each of the respondents was asked to rate the websites on a scale of 1-10 (where 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest) on the following parameters:

User Friendliness: The main goal of a website is to provide its visitors with a pleasant and fulfilling experience. User friendliness includes factors such as page loading speed, accessibility, navigation and information.

Look/Design: The parameter of look/design is also considered important as it creates the first impression on the visitor. The look/design of the website is primarily based on colours, graphics, white spaces and other technical factors.
 
Content Quality: A website is known for its content quality apart from the overall look and design. The content quality/credibility of a website is what drives a visitor to make frequent visits to the website.

Trustworthiness: At present, there are a number of websites available for online shopping, money transfer, photo/video sharing and other transactions. In this context, overall privacy and security are all the more important for a visitor to a particular site.

Overall Satisfaction: This parameter was included to ascertain the respondents’ perception on the website in a holistic sense.

THIRD PHASE:
The final overall ranking is a weighted average of Alexa rankings and the ICMR survey rankings. As per expert opinion and peer review, Alexa rankings have been given 30% and ICMR rankings have been given 70% weightage.

[Editors Note: Researcher should note that Alexa rankings, similar to any other Internet ranking tool, can be manipulated to a larger extent than can primary responses from a sample. Researchers should also note that a few websites that could have scored extremely high on Alexa rankings might have very low Alexa score because of their internal server security that may prohibit Alexa’s Internet crawlers from accessing their websites (typical examples include Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail et al)] Subsequently, certain websites have featured in the ICMR survey list but do not have an Alexa ranking. Hence these websites have not been considered in the overall ranking but their individual scores have been revealed in the following pages. Also, while many websites rank high in their respective categories, they may have slipped down in overall rankings because other websites have more mass functions (search engines, social networking, web portals, et al).

Note: The Alexa rankings we have considered for the respective websites are ranks as on August 13, 2012. Also, certain categories have been omitted in the second phase of the survey e.g. Torrent sites, websites with adult content, et al.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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In this highly networked environment, high performance supply chains are key to growth. But for that companies first need to develop a talent pool
 
Companies have used the recent economic downturn to streamline operations and increase operational efficiency. Many are investing in technology, capital, and infrastructure, while others have sought to lure talent from less fortunate companies to bring in additional capability. While valid, if implemented outside the context of a clear strategy, these tactics may not sustain the expected returns.

According to a recent Accenture research, talent is a principal concern for executives, with six of the top ten business issues cited by executives being talent-related. For key workforces and operations, like global supply chain organisations, it requires new ways to lead, learn, and collaborate to develop this talent effectively. According to Accenture, “supply chain masters” devote disproportionately more time and energy than their competitors to develop talent. These high performance organisations create a talent mindset across the organisation while constantly measuring and aligning talent to changing strategies, objectives, and demands. They embrace new ideas for closing skill gaps. Instead of being reactive, they approach skill growth with a demand-side fulfillment approach, knowing that talent pools can come from any industry or geography. They mine hidden skills in their organisation, and they have a strategy for just-in-time development of their workforce that they can deploy when and where needed. Organisations that integrate their business strategies with talent strategies – and proactively manage talent the same way they manage their operations – will benefit substantially in the long run.

In 2010, AMD supply chain leaders set out to strengthen their talent pipeline. They began exploring learning and collaboration options that would support business goals and enhance efforts to attract and retain leading supply chain talent.

Like many companies, AMD had standards to address many core competencies and leadership skills, but had relatively few resources to support development of technical supply chain competencies.

After reviewing a number of options, AMD decided to participate in a pilot learning program in partnership with Accenture Supply Chain Academy. To prepare for this program, AMD supply chain leaders started by defining a competency framework for each of the job roles targeted for participation in the learning program. They also identified key projects, skill gaps, and goals for their individual organisations. Leadership participation was a key driver for the talent program to move forward through performance metrics.

Based on these inputs, Accenture Supply Chain Academy learning specialists developed a curriculum designed to target those business goals and learning objectives. Combining formal and informal learning activities, AMD leaders developed a comprehensive set of deliverables designed to encourage the highest return on investment for both the employee and the business. Included in the activities were formal online courses, informal “lunch with an expert” sessions, online collaboration via chat forums, and access to industry resources such as white papers, blogs, and other information. In addition, participants were asked to meet weekly with their managers to discuss the learning experience, including process improvement ideas and any obstacles to learning. Users and managers were asked to keep a log of key concepts they learned and project or business improvements they implemented for presentation to the executive team.

At the end of the nine-month pilot program, results showed that those who obtained the most value from the learning experience, and who had the most influential process improvement ideas, were those who:

• Regularly met with their managers • Set aside specific time for learning on a regular and ongoing basis • Were supported by managers who communicated the importance of a learning culture • Shared and discussed new ideas and concepts with their teams • Participated in opportunities to present their results to others.

A key challenge that many organisations face is defining return on investment (ROI) for learning programs. While the intrinsic nature of an educated workforce is generally accepted, it is often necessary to show results in a more linear way when proposing a new program that requires a substantial investment. AMD met this challenge by requiring employees who participated in the pilot program to document supply chain improvements that were implemented as a result of this new learning process. They presented the process improvements, including “before and after” metrics, to the leadership team. This was particularly significant and was a key tool in communicating the benefit of a focused and comprehensive learning program.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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TIMELESS STEEL!

What can you expect from two companies – one a leading publishing outfit and another synonymous with sports – when they come together? Well, could be anything. But when Disney Publishing joined hands with ESPNcricinfo.com, the collaboration resulted in ‘Timeless Steel’ – an anthology of articles on Rahul Dravid, capturing the legendary cricketer’s life and career. The 256 page book showcasing Dravid’s journey into the game right up to the days when he was the epitome of Indian test cricket and his subsequent retirement, was launched on July 04, 2012 by Dravid himself along with Sanjay Manjrekar and Harsha Bhogle. Filled with anecdotes and timeless photographs, the book promises to be a collector’s edition.
 
Himalayan Odyssey

When you are in the business of selling iconic cruse bikes, then there is nothing better than a good’ol BTL (Below the Line) marketing activity in the form of a rally. Not only does it create buzz at a fraction of your marketing budget, but also reinforces brand loyalty by bringing existing customers together. Indian bike major Royal Enfield did that once again by flagging off its Himalayan Odyssey at 7:45am on June 23 morning. The rally was kicked off by Dr. Venki Padmanabhan, CEO Royal Enfield, from India Gate in New Delhi. 67 riders from India and abroad participated in the16 day adventure covering a distance of 2,700 kilometers from Delhi to Khardung La. This is the 9th edition of the prestigious marquee ride by Royal Enfield and has become an important brand activation for the company.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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Living down a famous dad’s name is never easy in any calling. Advertising is no different. For years, I pasted on a fatuous and moronic smile every time my surname came into play, invariably leading to the inevitable “Oh, so you are Sanat Lahiri/ Sanatda/Sanat Babu’s son? Naturally, advertising is in your blood!” Proud and happy as I was – and a bit embarrassed, awkward and inadequate too! – the truth can now be told since both my dad and the guy who turned me on to mosey across to Adville are up there, bogeying in the biggest Ad Congress of all!

No, advertising was not really in my blood; and no again, I did not come into advertising because of my famous [ex-Lintas, Dunlop, Tata, ICI. First Asian President of the IPRA, past President of PRSI & ABC, moving force behind Kolkata Ad Club, and Communication Consultant to the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia & Far East] dad. It was because of a maverick called Kersey Katrak, and an advertising agency called MCM (Mass Communication and Marketing)!

It all began in college when, accidentally, a couple of ads slammed my retina. It was my first introduction to the supernova and his audacious take on advertising. Sharp, in-your-face and brazenly unapologetic, the ads challenged you to ignore them, as they teasingly went eyeball to eyeball with you! It really shook me up! Instantly – I was in my final year of English Honours at Kolkata’s St. Xavier’s College – I dumped all thoughts of journalism and zeroed in on knowing more about the freako who’d made the ads and his shop. I had discovered my Camelot!

My dad [while not doing a tango as he listened to my breathless whoopee about those advertisements and wild plans for the future] was supportive. I am forever grateful for that. Coming from a different space and conditioned to the politically correct and conventional stuff dished out by the likes of JWT, Ogilvy and Clarion [Bates] of those distant [60s & 70s] times, Katrak’s provocative and way-out stuff could well have freaked him out – but he appeared cool. It was my life and he was there to guide – not monitor – my moves, if and when called upon to do so. In the break that existed between exams and results, I did a quick orientation course at JWT to get an authentic reality-bite into the industry I was dying to join. After completing it – loved it – I immediately left for Mumbai… Operation MCM!

After Kolkata and JWT, Mumbai, MCM at Colaba (Bakhtawar) and the super-hot dude who authored the show blew my young mind! The advertising agencies back home were nice n’ smart in an old fashioned, conventional way [“We’re here to do business, not entertain, deah boy!”] but what was this? The interiors were surreal and psychedelic! A pub, disco or an Adshop? I felt I was suddenly transported to Lucy-in-the-sky-with-diamonds land! Man, this truly was a life-after-death experience…! Just as I was recovering from this sublime and heady ambience, a tap on the shoulder got me face-to-face with the man himself…
 
Sporting Jeans, a cool Tee and comfy sandals, Kersey Katrak of the trimmed beard and glowing handsome face didn’t look a day older than 30, although he was reported to be in his mid-thirties. After warmly greeting me, ushering me to a small anteroom and ensuring that my Elvis-like trembling cooled off [was this for real?!] he did two things that made me love him – and the profession – for life. First he clicked a button that got the shades of the windows to part… in theatrical slo-mo… offering a spectacular view of the sea. While I stared zombie-like at the impossibly amazing visual, he politely enquired whether I would like to join him in enjoying a Pink Gin or Gin n’ Tonic? Seeing my chloroformed look, he assured me that it wasn’t fatal, my dad would approve and most importantly, a great way to connect with creativity. “Leaning on the juices and wetting the old tonsils does wonders for anyone keen on waking the dead, son!” intoned the great one. [I was to understand the full import of this, with time.]

After a few sips of the magic brew and lots of help from the Guru, I let fly. I showed him some of my published poems and articles and gave him my expert opinion on advertising and my plans, once I entered the business. He listened with great interest to this greenhorn [whose tongue was loosened by a drop and friendly encouragement to keep going], sometimes inviting me to recite some of my favourite poems. He confessed he loved poetry too and even wrote some “in my lighter moments”. Suddenly, without any reference to context, he said “You’re on, buddy! Join us first of next month. You will have to relocate, struggle, stay away from family and girlfriend. You will receive a stipend but will have to be supported by your old man. Once we see that you are settled and flying, everything will fall in place. Just remember one thing. MCM is not an ad agency. It’s a temple and disco which worships and celebrates ideas that transform lives… good luck!” Exit Kersey Katrak. Enter the incredulous beginning of dream, floating on air all the way to my host’s residence at Bandra… and later, all the way back to Kolkata! For a variety of reasons, alas, MCM didn’t work out for me and I ended up joining JWT, Kolkata, where I was privileged to interact with and learn my craft from another great and towering icon, Subhas Ghosal… but hey, that’s a story for some other time. This one’s about Kersey, who is widely considered the father of creative advertising.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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There’s more to the indian car market than just hatchbacks. and M&m wants to prove this isn’t just theory. will xylo’s makeover make its task any easier?
 
For as long as anyone can remember, India has been counted as a market where versions of A, B or C car models have a greater chance of being lapped-up by buyers if they come in the sub-4000 mm length. Over last year however, the two-million-a-year selling four-wheeler market has been in flux. What has forced the change in equation is the emergence of Utility Vehicles (UVs) as powerful volume-selling products. Count this. Between April and June 2012, sales of UVs (volume) in India grew 50.85% y-o-y (to 117,711 units). This when the overall passenger vehicles market grew by 9.71% goes to show how the UV segment has outpaced the overall market in recent years. What is most encouraging about this change is the manner in which the segment has started contributing greater volumes to the 4-wheeler market in recent months. Three years back, the UV category was actually declining. Between April-June 2009, its sales shrunk 1.52%. A year back, the category accounted between 11-13% of the total sales in the four-wheeler market in India. Today, this figure has reached 18%. The story of how the Indian automart is battling slowdown is really one where the UV market is playing the oxygen tank.

Call it a coincidence but the growth story of UVs in India began during the time when Mahindra & Mahindra started showing its seriousness beyond the Scorpio and Bolero. Today, after the sensation-of-a-launch of the XUV 500 (whose production schedule is running a delay of 5-6 months due to excess demand), the company is doing its best to market the latest avatar of its other big bet launched two years back – the Xylo (the ‘Stylish new Xylo’ as M&M brands it), that was launched in February this year. Strategically, where M&M scores a full 10 is the choice of category where appears to have neatly settled in. Today, it commands a 52.9% share in the sub-Rs.15 lakh platform, the only sub-segment where it sells. And going by how the company has introduced incremental innovation in the Xylo – enhancing its exteriors, interiors and overall performance with new features like stylish headlamps, sporty rear spoiler, glossy wood interior panels, mHawk turbocharged CRDe engine, a voice command technology to adjusts speaker volumes and unlock doors et al – expect its share in the sub-category to inch closer to the 60% mark in another quarter with ease.

To ‘again’ put this steal of a buy in the public eye [the first TVC of the campaign was launched in February 2012. It showed the original Xylo’s exteriors getting a makeover in a car washing station, and being rolled out as the new Xylo], starting June this year, M&M chose to air the second sequel of its ‘happy legs’. As before, creative agency Interface Communications injects a fresh feel into the 30-second spot that highlights the new stylish Xylo. The challenge this time was to move beyond selling just the proposition of adequate legroom space. The idea of a makeover had to surface – challenging when on the screen, you have three leggy beauties accompanying ace fashion photographer Atul Kasbekar.

Sharing the idea behind the project Robby Mathew, NCD, Interface, tells 4Ps B&M, “The new Xylo TVC picks up exactly where the last one left off. In the last ad, the vehicle wandered into a car wash station, but ended up getting a makeover. Now fresh from the car wash, Atul and the girls continue their journey in the stylish new Xylo. The core proposition of the Xylo has always been its roomy legroom, crystallised as ‘happy legs’. This campaign had to educate people know about the restyled exterior and interiors, but it quickly comes back to the Xylo’s core strength of space, especially the voice command technology system.”
 
The TVC opens with Atul driving around in the new Xylo with three models. They travel through a scenic beach town, down to a pier for a fashion photo shoot. En route, the four play around with the new Voice Command System and even change into costume in the Xylo’s spacious interiors, delighting a few fishermen. Actually, the fishermen shown between the 12th and 15th second of the TVC weren’t in the original cast plan. They made their way into it, while the shoot was in progress. Reveals Alan Rego, writer of the new ad-film (Creative Team – Interface), to 4Ps B&M, “For the sequel TVC, there is a scene where the models had to change clothes in the new Xylo. Even though they weren’t actually doing so, we got a lot of attention from the fishermen out there who were feeling shy. We realised their importance and included them in the script. We captured their natural expressions who weren’t possibly aware of the ad being filmed there.” The signature track ‘Can’t get you off my mind’, which worked well in the previous formats adds life to the sequel. In the last five second of the TVC, the VO says, “Happy legs in a stylish new Xylo”.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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There are ads, and then there are those 10 that have personified the concept of how branding can be made to work for the product most efficiently and effectively. From creativity to brand recall, from concept to execution, these 10 advertisements have gotten our attention; thanks to the commitment of the teams that created them. We present you with our review of the top three ads.
 
Advertiser: Honda
Baseline: Sach kar denge sapne
Agency: Dentsu Marcom

4Ps B&M Take: Once in a while, there comes an ad that just leaves you with a warm, good, tingly feeling and the latest ad from Honda India’s stable does just that. Emotive lyrics, superb cinematography, hand picked visuals from real life moments of middle class, urban Indians that leave you fondly nostalgic. This ad effectively captures the desire and ambition of the audiences to make their dreams come true. Of course, the Honda motorcycle is presented as the solution to ride the race of life faster. And the line “Bas zaroorat hai in sapno ko thodi si raftaar ki” (our dreams only need a little acceleration) poetically encapsulates the message. Honda has broken into the 6 million units a year executive commuter segment with this bike. Till recently, a joint venture with Hero had prevented Honda from directly tapping into this mass segment of the two-wheeler industry. The television commercial is likewise geared to position Honda as a heavyweight in this segment from day one. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, who has recently been roped in as the Japanese two-wheeler major’s brand ambassador, is the narrator who ties up the entire TVC together. Poetic lyrics like ‘’Hamare paas sapne hai kilo ke hisaab se, aur samay atthanni bhar’’ are spot-on. Sure, it’s a hundred seconds long film and may have even been a tad monotonous had the visuals and lyrics not been so compelling. But overall, positive vibes all around on this one. Our #2!
 
Advertiser: Monster.com
Baseline: Find better
Agency: Dentsu Marcom

4Ps B&M Take: Funny, ingenious and culturally attuned to the taste of Indian audiences. The line just about sums up the Monster.com creative that is keeping the target audience amused these days. The ad showcases two job hunters waiting for their turn with the interviewer. Both have a slew of good luck charms with them to enable them to land this job. In a bid to make the other nervous about his chances, they begin indulging in a bit of a one-upmanship as far as the lucky charms are concerned. One guy shows the horse-shoe ring that he is carrying with himself, while the other one makes his comeback with a Nimbu-Mirchi charm. Next, the bracelets and evil-eyes come out. But the funniest is when one of them brings out his mom – who dutifully gives best wishes to her son no sooner than she is fished out from the bag. Well, Monster.com agrees. They specifically asked their agency to weave an ad around this mindset after a recent study they conducted which gave Monster the insight that most Indians carry a good luck charm on big occasions such as a job interview. Incidentally, the research, which surveyed over 4,000 people, indicates that almost seventy percent of India believes that ‘luck’ plays an important role in finding a job. So, while the two job seekers are still fighting their ‘charm’ battle, the interviewer walks out with a completely new third chap who apparently has already landed the job. The selected candidate pulls out his smartphone, which has a Monster application for job seekers. The final message from the advertiser? ‘Get lucky, get active on Monster.com’. Now that’s what we call clever weaving of consumer insight into your brand promise. Quite a monstrous effort surely!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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Marketers in india are resorting to tighter ad budgets and far more stingy negotiations with advertising agencies. however, compromising on advertising effectiveness is myopic, more so during a difficult period
 
Call it the effect of a macroeconomic slowdown, a visibly negative consumer sentiment or apprehensions of a poor return on investments, growing advertising spends in the current scenario does appear daunting to businesses in general, especially the smaller ones with relatively shallow pockets.

The advertising industry is, therefore, seeing an impact in even the BRIC economies where long term domestic market potential remains robust. In a recently conducted interview with DJ FX Trader and The Wall Street Journal, Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and Chief Executive of British advertising giant WPP Group, admitted, “We see no significant change in the fast-growth markets in 2012, but it's a lower overall growth rate.” He further added however, on a positive note, that “advertisers in the so-called BRIC countries haven't pulled back on spending in the first five months of 2012”.

If we trace the patterns from the past, ad spends in the developing world have always shown a very strong correlation with GDP growth numbers. The Indian economy, which was looking set for an 8% plus growth in FY 2010-11 is now trailing well behind expectations at around 6.9% by the end of Q1, FY 2012-13. The impact is quite visible in ad spends by Indian marketers. In fact, growth trends for Indian adville are relatively modest compared to other BRIC economies. According to the latest forecasts by Warc, a globally acclaimed marketing intelligence service provider, ad spends in India in the year 2012 are expected to make a 9.3% growth on a yoy basis. This is only slightly better than the 8.9% growth expected in Brazil while it's nowhere near the expected growth in China (15.5%) and Russia (14%). To make things worse, inflation has played its role. After considering the inflationary effect, the same 9.3% yoy growth projection in terms of ad budgets comes down to a mere 1.1%. According to a FICCI-KPMG joint report, the Indian advertising industry clocked Rs.30 billion in revenues in FY 2011-12. It was earlier expecting a decent 12% yoy growth in FY 2012-13, but looking at trends, it had to significantly cut down its growth forecast to around 9.5%.

Jehil Thakkar, Partner and Head, Media & Entertainment practice, KPMG India, puts it thus, “Continuously rising production and distribution costs have narrowed down margins for companies. Hence, they are forced to cut down their expenditure on advertisements and will also look for alternative ways to reach out to their customers.” It's a given that if the current sentiment is turned on its head through improved economic conditions and a more liberalised policy environment sets in, marketers in India will step on the gas with ad spends once again. But in the current scenario, social media and mobile advertising are receiving relatively greater attention as low cost and high impact mediums. Rahul Lamba, MD, Prudential Advertisers and Media Planners, says, “Social media has emerged as a cost effective medium for advertisers. It aims at a highly targeted set of audiences. Hence, your chances to hit the bull's eye are much higher.” If we talk about overall media preferences, digital ad spends in India have grown by 54% yoy in 2011 to touch Rs.15.4 billion. While the base figure may be small compared to Rs.116 billion spend on TV advertisements last year, the impressive growth rate for digital media does indicate its growing relevance to the CMO. As per the KPMG-FICCI report, digital media is expected to register a 30% CAGR from 2011 to 2016.
 
Apart from this, marketers are now actively exploring new avenues to compensate agencies. The major change is a shift from a labor-based to a performance-based compensation approach. In simple terms, it means linking fees of agencies to product sales while cutting down on base compensation and margins. V. Subramaniam, General Manager, Adfactors Advertising, laments, “Due to a tough market situation, the 12-15% commission, which advertising agencies used to enjoy earlier, is now depleting very fast. Nowadays, clients negotiate very hard for every single penny they spend.” Performance-based compensation exposes agencies to greater financial risks if client goals are not met, but conversely, it also gives them the potential for a significant upside.

Moreover, as marketers go hyperactive, they are deploying multiple agencies for increased effectiveness, cost saving as well as for getting the best possible results. One recent and significant example has been Coca-Cola India appointing Lowe Lintas and Weiden + Kennedy along with their age old advertising agency McCann Erickson for their campaign. Coke's arch rival PepsiCo India proceeded on similar lines last year by appointing Taproot as its second ad agency apart from JWT, with which they share a partnership since over a decade. The move led to the highly successful “Change the game” campaign for the company.

Furthermore, some companies are now making another major strategic shifts in their approach due to tighter budgets. Giving up on multiple and regional brand ambassadors and appointing a single brand ambassador for pan-India campaigns is a case in point. South Indian actors are being increasingly used. It not just saves on the hefty fees given to different ambassadors (especially national celebrities) but also cuts down on production costs of multiple regional advertisements. So we have Telugu Superstar Mahesh Babu replacing Bollywood action star Akshay Kumar in the latest TVCs of Thums up, Parle Agro appointing Tamil-Telugu actor Siddharth as the first brand ambassador for Frooti and Tamil actor Karan sharing moments onscreen with Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor for the TVC of Mahindra's two-wheeler Duro.

These tactical initiatives are a clear indication of a sense of urgency among these marketers to make every penny count for more than ever before. V. Subramaniam, General Manager, Adfactors Advertising explains the impact of this on the advertising industry thus, “Client retention has become a very challenging job for agencies. Now they need to do every bit including special discounts, schemes, et al to keep old accounts going and also to get hold of new accounts.”

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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Ranjit Yadav asserts that Samsung smartphones sell across the country
 
Will Samsung focus largely on smartphones going forward?
Samsung in India is a full range player; we have products starting from Rs.1200 to products well over Rs.30,000 like the S3. We are committed to the Indian market and have service centres in over 2500 locations. We want to sell the entire range to the Indian market. All our products have the key DNA of innovation, differentiation and quality. Design is also a key differentiation along with ergonomics, like nature being the inspiration for our S3 range.

How has slowdown impacted sales, and what is your outlook for 2012?
Slowdown is a significant risk that we all have to face. Many industries are already showing signs of slowdown. The mobile industry is flat, not necessarily growing anymore; and going forward, there’s a risk of growth dropping off. When times are difficult, the key is how to differentiate and we are good with that. We see this as an opportunity for us. I can’t give you an exact number, but we are already over 40% of the market in both value and volume terms.

How do you plan to expand your share with rising competition?
Our marketing strategy is based on creating the right consumer experience. We will be very strong in digital and experience-based marketing. Like for our S3 range, you can experience a lot of the products in-store and outside as well. We believe that consumers are available across the country for our higher range phones. So we will take our campaign across the country, rather than limit only to top cities. Even rural markets contribute to the sales of our smartphones.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay 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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