Posts
A static print ad suddenly comes to life — with an interactive video of the brand. That’s augmented reality. While sitting in a coffee shop, why would you wait for the server to bring you the menu when you can get it on the mobile phone. That’s Blufi for you. Then, there’s holography and 3D wall projectors that promise to change the way we see signages and OOH. At Cannes 2010, Kate Hyewon Oh, creative director, Cheil Worldwide made a presentation on the technologies that brands and agencies will have to look at in the time to come. Narasimha Suresh realised how the mobile can become a media platform and technology the enabler. But he wasn’t at Cannes this year listening to Kate. Suresh founded TeliBrahma six years back and his entrepreneurial journey in mobility, he says, comprises applications using technology like augmented reality for brands in India. “We were always excited by mobile technology — the power of PC in your hand. We believed in several markets including India and we believed mobile technology will leapfrog in these markets,” says Suresh. And like the exponential jumps in mobile users month after month, Suresh claims a 100 % q-o-q growth without divulging the turnover of the company. “The biggest issue was around the hype and expectation. Mobile was predominantly considered as a response generation/lead generation media,” says Suresh of the initial challenges. “Extremely low SMS charges and lack of results delivered were not helping either”, he adds. Mobile as a communication platform for brands is still largely responsible for lead generation. But TeliBrahma’s president, P R Satheesh, says the solutions on offer integrate with traditional media and ensures brand building across touch points like print, television, outdoors, events and retail. Citing the example of WagonR, Satheesh says the campaign reached more than 5 lakh potential consumers through branded games and interactive brochures. “Or one can focus on a static print ad to download interactive content like a 3D model of a car along with specifications. So there’s rich media experience and sharp targetting,” says Satheesh. For a new technology start up, getting brands hooked to applications is a herculean task and Satheesh admits that agencies like GroupM deserve credit in propagating the importance of the mobile platform. Integrated solutions may be an abused phrase in the marketing and communications space today, but Satheesh thinks it’s these two words that will fuel TeliBrahma’s growth in the market place. “Both agencies and brands are looking at mobile and digital solutions.” Talk to ad professionals in India and overseas, and they will say digital is the next big wave. Some say that we are already in the thick of a new digital revolution. However, with the internet lagging behind mobiles in India, the digital wave will hit us through the little device in our hands. And that’s the wave solution providers like TeliBrahma are waiting to ride.
Source: Brand Equity, The Economic Times
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Augmented Reality
A static print ad suddenly comes to life — with an interactive video of the brand. That’s augmented reality. While sitting in a coffee shop, why would you wait for the server to bring you the menu when you can get it on the mobile phone. That’s Blufi for you. Then, there’s holography and 3D wall projectors that promise to change the way we see signages and OOH. At Cannes 2010, Kate Hyewon Oh, creative director, Cheil Worldwide made a presentation on the technologies that brands and agencies will have to look at in the time to come. Narasimha Suresh realised how the mobile can become a media platform and technology the enabler. But he wasn’t at Cannes this year listening to Kate. Suresh founded TeliBrahma six years back and his entrepreneurial journey in mobility, he says, comprises applications using technology like augmented reality for brands in India. “We were always excited by mobile technology — the power of PC in your hand. We believed in several markets including India and we believed mobile technology will leapfrog in these markets,” says Suresh. And like the exponential jumps in mobile users month after month, Suresh claims a 100 % q-o-q growth without divulging the turnover of the company. “The biggest issue was around the hype and expectation. Mobile was predominantly considered as a response generation/lead generation media,” says Suresh of the initial challenges. “Extremely low SMS charges and lack of results delivered were not helping either”, he adds. Mobile as a communication platform for brands is still largely responsible for lead generation. But TeliBrahma’s president, P R Satheesh, says the solutions on offer integrate with traditional media and ensures brand building across touch points like print, television, outdoors, events and retail. Citing the example of WagonR, Satheesh says the campaign reached more than 5 lakh potential consumers through branded games and interactive brochures. “Or one can focus on a static print ad to download interactive content like a 3D model of a car along with specifications. So there’s rich media experience and sharp targetting,” says Satheesh. For a new technology start up, getting brands hooked to applications is a herculean task and Satheesh admits that agencies like GroupM deserve credit in propagating the importance of the mobile platform. Integrated solutions may be an abused phrase in the marketing and communications space today, but Satheesh thinks it’s these two words that will fuel TeliBrahma’s growth in the market place. “Both agencies and brands are looking at mobile and digital solutions.” Talk to ad professionals in India and overseas, and they will say digital is the next big wave. Some say that we are already in the thick of a new digital revolution. However, with the internet lagging behind mobiles in India, the digital wave will hit us through the little device in our hands. And that’s the wave solution providers like TeliBrahma are waiting to ride.
Source: Brand Equity, The Economic Times
Source: Brand Equity, The Economic Times
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Cash and Carry
Notwithstanding his long career, Rajeev Bakshi likes to compare himself to a sprinter. Only that his definition of a sprint is not a short burst of speed, but a run spanning 3-5 years. "Then I get impatient," acknowledges Bakshi. However the newly minted MD of Metro cash & carry India, part of Euro 66 billion Metro Group , will require the patience and perseverance of a long distance runner to bring the company to its full potential in India. For Bakshi’s into that part of the modern trade story which is more a marathon than a 100 metre dash. After all, cash and carry formats (C&C) don’t get the eyeballs, footfalls or even high decibel visibility compared to the neighbourhood formats and hypermarkets. Stores and hypermarts sell to end consumers but cash & carry is a complete B2B business — selling to traders. The cash & carry segment in India is a relatively small fraction of modern trade. Modern trade in India makes up just about 10%-12 % of the $ 350 billion retail trade in India and there are no benchmark estimates on the potential of cash & carry formats in India. On top of that, the retail landscape is littered with carcasses of C&C players who lost the race, even before it started for some. Shoprite, a South Africa based retail major, one of the earlier movers in the country ran out of steam in late 2000. Though Indian retailers like Future Group and Reliance Retail have evinced interest in this business, but on-ground they don’t have much to show. Even international players like Carrefour and Tesco are testing waters with the French retail giant just starting to draw its Indian roadmap. In many ways, the universe when it comes to cash & carry has shrunk instead of expanding.
Passive to Proactive
Industry watchers feel that the trap companies find themselves in maybe due to their own doing. Given the B2B nature of the business, observers and players believe that cash & carry formats operating in India have adopted a more ‘wait for business to come’ attitude rather than a ‘go out and acquire business’ one. Raman Mangalorkar, MD, Highstreet Capital, an infrastructure fund, says the initial enthusiasm in this space was largely keeping in mind the multi-brand retailing market. "The desire was not to build the cash & carry business but hope that retailing in India opens up. So cash & carry format was a backdoor entry strategy for the players," says Mangalorkar. It was a case of bypassing the regulations and marking future stakes than building serious business. Bakshi of Metro however feels that it’s unfair to make a judgement call on the progress of the business. "Metro in China is 15 years old story, but the real take-off happened only 7-8 years back. So a gestation period exists and in India we are not worse off in the evolution of the modern trade, even cash & carry," he says. However, he agrees, that cash & carry business traditionally has been passive. Initially, the definition of cash & carry customers itself was mired in controversy as stock keeping unit (SKU) meant for resale were sold for private consumption. Even though the delineation of customers may still constitute a grey area, retail professionals believe cash & carry players never got down to understanding the target audience they are catering to. "The players have not done enough work to acquire kirana stores for instance. The FMCG companies do it better than the cash & carry formats in terms of distribution and logistics," explains Raghu Pillai, chief executive, Future Value Retail.
Key Account/Customer Segmentation
Now cash & carry players are taking a leaf from the FMCG companies to create a better business model. Bharti Walmart operates three Best Price Modern Wholesale cash & carry stores in North India and they have come up with a unique Indian strategy. Raj Jain, president, Walmart India and MD, Bharti Walmart says the stores have sales and business development teams with member acquisition starting six months before a store opens. "B2B cash & carry format stores like Best Price are unique in the Walmart universe. So initiatives at the stores are a benchmark for Walmart internationally," says Jain. With experiences from Cadbury and PepsiCo , Bakshi of Metro says the biggest change in the approach towards the business has focused around customer centricity. "So it’s customer segmentation and products according to verticals like HORECA (hotels, restaurants and catering), traders and institutions," he says. Metro decided to have a customer marketing director on the board in each and every country it operates. Citing the instance of servicing the HORECA segment, Ajay Singh Sheodaan, director - customer marketing, Metro says specialist teams were brought into the company who understood the segment. "So we roped in a hospitality business professional, who has insights, identifies gaps and services them. So it could be a breakfast solution for a hotel, where we create a backend with a dedicated store for them in our store," he says. He adds; "Our interaction is not restricted to just the hotel managers, we interact with chefs, purchase managers to arrive at an efficient way of distribution." Pillai of Future Value agrees that formats have been able to fare better when it comes to servicing the HORECA segment. "That’s because the supply chain don’t exist. Even basic hygiene issues were not addressed which cash & carry formats have been able to capitalise upon," says Pillai. HORECA and institutional business may be the new revenue streams, but the bread and butter for cash & carry formats are the trader community. Hereon, even cash & carry formats are adopting practises initiated by FMCG players like HUL with its Supervalue Store concept. Jain of Bharti Walmart says the format has a ‘mera kirana’ programme that helps local mom and pop stores grow their business by identifying need gaps relevant to them. "The Mera Kirana model store helps in practical demonstration of various topics such as maximising paid displays, efficient layout and stocking of products," says Jain. To compete with manufacturers when it comes to breadth of distribution, formats like Metro have tied up with microfinance companies like SKS Microfinance . The loan officers from SKS help collect orders from small traders Metro cannot reach in the normal course of business. "Now, we have built a network touching 3,000 customers in and around Hyderabad." It’s early days for the cash & carry industry in India. Perhaps the many spectacular failures and lessons in what not to do will help the existing players figure out what’s to be done to make this part of retail a success. "The universe has to grow with more stores for one to validate the model," says Pillai. The run up is slow but it has to be consistent and professionals like Bakshi know they are in it for a long run.
Source: The Economic Times
Passive to Proactive
Industry watchers feel that the trap companies find themselves in maybe due to their own doing. Given the B2B nature of the business, observers and players believe that cash & carry formats operating in India have adopted a more ‘wait for business to come’ attitude rather than a ‘go out and acquire business’ one. Raman Mangalorkar, MD, Highstreet Capital, an infrastructure fund, says the initial enthusiasm in this space was largely keeping in mind the multi-brand retailing market. "The desire was not to build the cash & carry business but hope that retailing in India opens up. So cash & carry format was a backdoor entry strategy for the players," says Mangalorkar. It was a case of bypassing the regulations and marking future stakes than building serious business. Bakshi of Metro however feels that it’s unfair to make a judgement call on the progress of the business. "Metro in China is 15 years old story, but the real take-off happened only 7-8 years back. So a gestation period exists and in India we are not worse off in the evolution of the modern trade, even cash & carry," he says. However, he agrees, that cash & carry business traditionally has been passive. Initially, the definition of cash & carry customers itself was mired in controversy as stock keeping unit (SKU) meant for resale were sold for private consumption. Even though the delineation of customers may still constitute a grey area, retail professionals believe cash & carry players never got down to understanding the target audience they are catering to. "The players have not done enough work to acquire kirana stores for instance. The FMCG companies do it better than the cash & carry formats in terms of distribution and logistics," explains Raghu Pillai, chief executive, Future Value Retail.
Key Account/Customer Segmentation
Now cash & carry players are taking a leaf from the FMCG companies to create a better business model. Bharti Walmart operates three Best Price Modern Wholesale cash & carry stores in North India and they have come up with a unique Indian strategy. Raj Jain, president, Walmart India and MD, Bharti Walmart says the stores have sales and business development teams with member acquisition starting six months before a store opens. "B2B cash & carry format stores like Best Price are unique in the Walmart universe. So initiatives at the stores are a benchmark for Walmart internationally," says Jain. With experiences from Cadbury and PepsiCo , Bakshi of Metro says the biggest change in the approach towards the business has focused around customer centricity. "So it’s customer segmentation and products according to verticals like HORECA (hotels, restaurants and catering), traders and institutions," he says. Metro decided to have a customer marketing director on the board in each and every country it operates. Citing the instance of servicing the HORECA segment, Ajay Singh Sheodaan, director - customer marketing, Metro says specialist teams were brought into the company who understood the segment. "So we roped in a hospitality business professional, who has insights, identifies gaps and services them. So it could be a breakfast solution for a hotel, where we create a backend with a dedicated store for them in our store," he says. He adds; "Our interaction is not restricted to just the hotel managers, we interact with chefs, purchase managers to arrive at an efficient way of distribution." Pillai of Future Value agrees that formats have been able to fare better when it comes to servicing the HORECA segment. "That’s because the supply chain don’t exist. Even basic hygiene issues were not addressed which cash & carry formats have been able to capitalise upon," says Pillai. HORECA and institutional business may be the new revenue streams, but the bread and butter for cash & carry formats are the trader community. Hereon, even cash & carry formats are adopting practises initiated by FMCG players like HUL with its Supervalue Store concept. Jain of Bharti Walmart says the format has a ‘mera kirana’ programme that helps local mom and pop stores grow their business by identifying need gaps relevant to them. "The Mera Kirana model store helps in practical demonstration of various topics such as maximising paid displays, efficient layout and stocking of products," says Jain. To compete with manufacturers when it comes to breadth of distribution, formats like Metro have tied up with microfinance companies like SKS Microfinance . The loan officers from SKS help collect orders from small traders Metro cannot reach in the normal course of business. "Now, we have built a network touching 3,000 customers in and around Hyderabad." It’s early days for the cash & carry industry in India. Perhaps the many spectacular failures and lessons in what not to do will help the existing players figure out what’s to be done to make this part of retail a success. "The universe has to grow with more stores for one to validate the model," says Pillai. The run up is slow but it has to be consistent and professionals like Bakshi know they are in it for a long run.
Source: The Economic Times
Cash and Carry Story
Notwithstanding his long career, Rajeev Bakshi likes to compare himself to a sprinter. Only that his definition of a sprint is not a short burst of speed, but a run spanning 3-5 years. “Then I get impatient,” acknowledges Bakshi. However the newly minted MD of Metro cash & carry India, part of Euro 66 billion Metro Group , will require the patience and perseverance of a long distance runner to bring the company to its full potential in India. For Bakshi’s into that part of the modern trade story which is more a marathon than a 100 metre dash. After all, cash and carry formats (C&C) don’t get the eyeballs, footfalls or even high decibel visibility compared to the neighbourhood formats and hypermarkets. Stores and hypermarts sell to end consumers but cash & carry is a complete B2B business — selling to traders. The cash & carry segment in India is a relatively small fraction of modern trade. Modern trade in India makes up just about 10%-12 % of the $ 350 billion retail trade in India and there are no benchmark estimates on the potential of cash & carry formats in India. On top of that, the retail landscape is littered with carcasses of C&C players who lost the race, even before it started for some. Shoprite, a South Africa based retail major, one of the earlier movers in the country ran out of steam in late 2000. Though Indian retailers like Future Group and Reliance Retail have evinced interest in this business, but on-ground they don’t have much to show. Even international players like Carrefour and Tesco are testing waters with the French retail giant just starting to draw its Indian roadmap. In many ways, the universe when it comes to cash & carry has shrunk instead of expanding.
Passive to Proactive
Industry watchers feel that the trap companies find themselves in maybe due to their own doing. Given the B2B nature of the business, observers and players believe that cash & carry formats operating in India have adopted a more ‘wait for business to come’ attitude rather than a ‘go out and acquire business’ one. Raman Mangalorkar, MD, Highstreet Capital, an infrastructure fund, says the initial enthusiasm in this space was largely keeping in mind the multi-brand retailing market. “The desire was not to build the cash & carry business but hope that retailing in India opens up. So cash & carry format was a backdoor entry strategy for the players,” says Mangalorkar. It was a case of bypassing the regulations and marking future stakes than building serious business. Bakshi of Metro however feels that it’s unfair to make a judgement call on the progress of the business. “Metro in China is 15 years old story, but the real take-off happened only 7-8 years back. So a gestation period exists and in India we are not worse off in the evolution of the modern trade, even cash & carry,” he says. However, he agrees, that cash & carry business traditionally has been passive. Initially, the definition of cash & carry customers itself was mired in controversy as stock keeping unit (SKU) meant for resale were sold for private consumption. Even though the delineation of customers may still constitute a grey area, retail professionals believe cash & carry players never got down to understanding the target audience they are catering to. “The players have not done enough work to acquire kirana stores for instance. The FMCG companies do it better than the cash & carry formats in terms of distribution and logistics,” explains Raghu Pillai, chief executive, Future Value Retail.
Key Account/Customer Segmentation
Now cash & carry players are taking a leaf from the FMCG companies to create a better business model. Bharti Walmart operates three Best Price Modern Wholesale cash & carry stores in North India and they have come up with a unique Indian strategy. Raj Jain, president, Walmart India and MD, Bharti Walmart says the stores have sales and business development teams with member acquisition starting six months before a store opens. “B2B cash & carry format stores like Best Price are unique in the Walmart universe. So initiatives at the stores are a benchmark for Walmart internationally,” says Jain. With experiences from Cadbury and PepsiCo , Bakshi of Metro says the biggest change in the approach towards the business has focused around customer centricity. “So it’s customer segmentation and products according to verticals like HORECA (hotels, restaurants and catering), traders and institutions,” he says. Metro decided to have a customer marketing director on the board in each and every country it operates. Citing the instance of servicing the HORECA segment, Ajay Singh Sheodaan, director - customer marketing, Metro says specialist teams were brought into the company who understood the segment. “So we roped in a hospitality business professional, who has insights, identifies gaps and services them. So it could be a breakfast solution for a hotel, where we create a backend with a dedicated store for them in our store,” he says. He adds; “Our interaction is not restricted to just the hotel managers, we interact with chefs, purchase managers to arrive at an efficient way of distribution.” Pillai of Future Value agrees that formats have been able to fare better when it comes to servicing the HORECA segment. “That’s because the supply chain don’t exist. Even basic hygiene issues were not addressed which cash & carry formats have been able to capitalise upon,” says Pillai. HORECA and institutional business may be the new revenue streams, but the bread and butter for cash & carry formats are the trader community. Hereon, even cash & carry formats are adopting practises initiated by FMCG players like HUL with its Supervalue Store concept. Jain of Bharti Walmart says the format has a ‘mera kirana’ programme that helps local mom and pop stores grow their business by identifying need gaps relevant to them. “The Mera Kirana model store helps in practical demonstration of various topics such as maximising paid displays, efficient layout and stocking of products,” says Jain. To compete with manufacturers when it comes to breadth of distribution, formats like Metro have tied up with microfinance companies like SKS Microfinance . The loan officers from SKS help collect orders from small traders Metro cannot reach in the normal course of business. “Now, we have built a network touching 3,000 customers in and around Hyderabad.” It’s early days for the cash & carry industry in India. Perhaps the many spectacular failures and lessons in what not to do will help the existing players figure out what’s to be done to make this part of retail a success. “The universe has to grow with more stores for one to validate the model,” says Pillai. The run up is slow but it has to be consistent and professionals like Bakshi know they are in it for a long run.
Passive to Proactive
Industry watchers feel that the trap companies find themselves in maybe due to their own doing. Given the B2B nature of the business, observers and players believe that cash & carry formats operating in India have adopted a more ‘wait for business to come’ attitude rather than a ‘go out and acquire business’ one. Raman Mangalorkar, MD, Highstreet Capital, an infrastructure fund, says the initial enthusiasm in this space was largely keeping in mind the multi-brand retailing market. “The desire was not to build the cash & carry business but hope that retailing in India opens up. So cash & carry format was a backdoor entry strategy for the players,” says Mangalorkar. It was a case of bypassing the regulations and marking future stakes than building serious business. Bakshi of Metro however feels that it’s unfair to make a judgement call on the progress of the business. “Metro in China is 15 years old story, but the real take-off happened only 7-8 years back. So a gestation period exists and in India we are not worse off in the evolution of the modern trade, even cash & carry,” he says. However, he agrees, that cash & carry business traditionally has been passive. Initially, the definition of cash & carry customers itself was mired in controversy as stock keeping unit (SKU) meant for resale were sold for private consumption. Even though the delineation of customers may still constitute a grey area, retail professionals believe cash & carry players never got down to understanding the target audience they are catering to. “The players have not done enough work to acquire kirana stores for instance. The FMCG companies do it better than the cash & carry formats in terms of distribution and logistics,” explains Raghu Pillai, chief executive, Future Value Retail.
Key Account/Customer Segmentation
Now cash & carry players are taking a leaf from the FMCG companies to create a better business model. Bharti Walmart operates three Best Price Modern Wholesale cash & carry stores in North India and they have come up with a unique Indian strategy. Raj Jain, president, Walmart India and MD, Bharti Walmart says the stores have sales and business development teams with member acquisition starting six months before a store opens. “B2B cash & carry format stores like Best Price are unique in the Walmart universe. So initiatives at the stores are a benchmark for Walmart internationally,” says Jain. With experiences from Cadbury and PepsiCo , Bakshi of Metro says the biggest change in the approach towards the business has focused around customer centricity. “So it’s customer segmentation and products according to verticals like HORECA (hotels, restaurants and catering), traders and institutions,” he says. Metro decided to have a customer marketing director on the board in each and every country it operates. Citing the instance of servicing the HORECA segment, Ajay Singh Sheodaan, director - customer marketing, Metro says specialist teams were brought into the company who understood the segment. “So we roped in a hospitality business professional, who has insights, identifies gaps and services them. So it could be a breakfast solution for a hotel, where we create a backend with a dedicated store for them in our store,” he says. He adds; “Our interaction is not restricted to just the hotel managers, we interact with chefs, purchase managers to arrive at an efficient way of distribution.” Pillai of Future Value agrees that formats have been able to fare better when it comes to servicing the HORECA segment. “That’s because the supply chain don’t exist. Even basic hygiene issues were not addressed which cash & carry formats have been able to capitalise upon,” says Pillai. HORECA and institutional business may be the new revenue streams, but the bread and butter for cash & carry formats are the trader community. Hereon, even cash & carry formats are adopting practises initiated by FMCG players like HUL with its Supervalue Store concept. Jain of Bharti Walmart says the format has a ‘mera kirana’ programme that helps local mom and pop stores grow their business by identifying need gaps relevant to them. “The Mera Kirana model store helps in practical demonstration of various topics such as maximising paid displays, efficient layout and stocking of products,” says Jain. To compete with manufacturers when it comes to breadth of distribution, formats like Metro have tied up with microfinance companies like SKS Microfinance . The loan officers from SKS help collect orders from small traders Metro cannot reach in the normal course of business. “Now, we have built a network touching 3,000 customers in and around Hyderabad.” It’s early days for the cash & carry industry in India. Perhaps the many spectacular failures and lessons in what not to do will help the existing players figure out what’s to be done to make this part of retail a success. “The universe has to grow with more stores for one to validate the model,” says Pillai. The run up is slow but it has to be consistent and professionals like Bakshi know they are in it for a long run.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Books & Stationery market
As part of promoter family running the business, Shailendra Gala, VP - stationery division, Navneet Publications has been involved in the business for nearly 15 years now. Even as the brand enjoys equity in the market and has a legacy spanning five decades, it’s the future course of the business that has Gala excited. Ditto for Dilip Dandekar, MD, Camlin, who’s has been involved with stationery for the past forty years but is now betting big on the next decade. The books and stationery market is largely fragmented with myriad of small, regional players dominating the market. But there are players like Navneet, Sundaram, Staples Camlin and even ITC who are now looking to grab a larger share from the unorganised segment and create a brand name for themselves. Thus ITC’s education and stationery products business may be just six years old, but it has a turnover of Rs 400 crore and is clocking a growth of 20%, according to CEO, Chand Das. So the business has acquired enough traction in the market now to aim for the big bucks in the future. Global chain Staples present in India via an association with Pantaloons retail focuses more on the office supplies side of the stationery business. According to Shailesh Karwa, co-founder and co-CEO, Staples, "Staples today is the largest organised office products player in the India market, reaching Rs 200 crores in sales in our third year of operation. Both the consumer and the business segment in India have already found great value in the model. And the momentum gives us the confidence to reach our goal of Rs 500 crores in sales by 2012." The common thread running between the above mentioned names is that all of them are looking to either reinforce or create a rock solid national brand name in a highly commoditised and fragemented market. Sure, we all have heard about Navneet notebooks and Camlin colour pens and even Classmate, but chances are these brands are the last thing one thinks of while actually making a purchase decision. Even if one does have a brand preference, one works just as well as the other. It’s in such a cluttered environment that these brands are looking to create a niche for themselves. There are no official numbers available to know how big the market is, but industry estimates put the books and stationery segment to be in the range Rs 11,000 crore. Out of the total pie, around Rs 6000 crore is estimated to be paper stationery, while the rest is categorised as non paper stationery comprising writing instruments, art materials etc. Market players estimate the growth rate for both segments to rise to around 15% annually in the time to come, fuelled by the interest and investment in the education sector, both from public and private sector. "Education as a whole is getting high priority. The market has expanded and consumption has increased," says Gala of Navneet. To grab a bigger share, companies realise they no longer can remain non entities on the shelves. Gupta, founder, Nobby brand architects says even though school and college stationery is largely price sensitive, the emergence of smaller markets in the education sector will mean more investment in brand building. "More than the A and B class, it’s the rise of C and D, particularly the tertiary markets that will spur expansion plans of players. So some will emerge as price warriors, while some players will be working on the entire marketing mix to create a brand," says Gupta. So it’s a combination of some players content with consolidating their existing strength, while others look to diverse segments after establishing their presence in one. Amrit Shah, CMD, Sundaram notebooks says the company has no plans of making a foray into the non paper segment given the highly fragmented nature of the business. Instead, Sundaram is looking to take its paper business into new markets like MP and Chattisgarh. The brand, informs Shah, has recently launched a digital form of content called e-class that stores syllabus in a pen drive. "The aim is to create a knowledge library and content that can be accessed by students even on TV or laptops," says Shah. While Sundaram may be content in its turf, Navneet has forayed into non paper stationery and Gala acknowledges that it’s a tough market. "Along with the unorganised market, we have to fight established players like Camlin," he admits. So a flanker strategy - with two brands operating at different price points - has been initiated by Navneet. "One of the brand operates at a low price point but with better packaging and design. This ensures that competition doesn’t hit the brand operating at the top end," says Gala. Staples is banking on increasing its private label play on stationery. According to Sharad Dalmia, cofounder and co CEO, Staples, "Something like a binder clip can have a functional innovation of colour code and labels for filing important, urgent and priority stuff. A4 paper can have a packaging innovation of only 100 sheets for the student with a modest budget, who cannot afford the 500 sheet ream of paper at one go." Beyond the product and pricing, distribution is playing an important role in pushing the products into unchartered market. With 600 distributors, Chand Das of ITC says applying FMCG principles of expansion, promotions and marketing also works in this segment. "Aspects like trade marketing, merchandising, signages, school and college contact programmes, all this enables us to acquire more and more touch points in the market," he says. Staples has a Back To School sale every May just before schools re-open after summer vacations. According to Dalmia, "We are only pleased to find fellow competitors now mimicking the same "Back to school’ events. The BTL activities would range from contests for students to learning and collaborative networking for small businesses in the stores." Gupta of Nobby Brand Architects says ITC is using its distribution muscle to make up for the relatively new presence it has in the market compared to others. "They can leverage their presence in segments like general trade and even trade like pan shops to acquire a broad appeal in the market," says Gupta. To counter the entry of players like ITC in non paper segment, brands like Camlin is looking to dive further into the market. Dandekar of Camlin says the company is working on creating separate sales and promotional teams to target schools and large institutions respectively. "By beefing up distribution and creating dedicated teams, the objective is to touch more than 20,000 schools and 250,000 retailers in the next couple of years," he says. In some sectors, brands have become commodities, while the reverse is been attempted in the books and stationery segment. The journey of product, price, packaging and distribution is bound to see some interesting chapters ahead. Source: Brand Equity, The Economic Times
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Education — a new wave
Hi All,
Going by the number of ads — largely print and television, i have a feeling that education sector is readying for a massive spurt in marketing and communications. Right from kindergarden to post graduation, there is a spurt in number of players looking to create a national play. And players increase their footprint, focus on brand name will be important.
Going by the number of ads — largely print and television, i have a feeling that education sector is readying for a massive spurt in marketing and communications. Right from kindergarden to post graduation, there is a spurt in number of players looking to create a national play. And players increase their footprint, focus on brand name will be important.
Education — the new frontier
Hi All,
Going by the number of ads — largely print and television, i have a feeling that education sector is readying for a massive spurt in marketing and communications. Right from kindergarden to post graduation, there is a spurt in number of players looking to create a national play. And players increase their footprint, focus on brand name will be important.
Going by the number of ads — largely print and television, i have a feeling that education sector is readying for a massive spurt in marketing and communications. Right from kindergarden to post graduation, there is a spurt in number of players looking to create a national play. And players increase their footprint, focus on brand name will be important.
Rural Markets — have we understood the space?
Hi All,
In my course of work, i regularly come across the line that rural India is the next big wave that brands will ride on. And there are numbers that authenticate the thought. With bountiful monsoons, the agri produce will be abundant. Add to that the emphasis on rural through NREGA and rural infrastructure connectivity programme, rural incomes is bound to rise. Of course, the push by brands into the hinterland continues buoyed by the robust growth on the anvil. But the question is, have brands understood what it takes to market to the rural consumers. When it comes to rural activation, a lot of brands through rural marketing agencies look at van activation, video, shop activation like merchandising etc. While there's no doubt that they serve their purpose, but has any attempt been made to understand what makes the rural consumers click. The rural rich are no less when it comes to displaying their wealth — so what will it take to consume more? playing on their aspirations? For the rural masses, dependent on agri culture, is it enough for brands to just sell to them? Shouldn't it be a two way traffic, where we buy from them as well....your thoughts please
In my course of work, i regularly come across the line that rural India is the next big wave that brands will ride on. And there are numbers that authenticate the thought. With bountiful monsoons, the agri produce will be abundant. Add to that the emphasis on rural through NREGA and rural infrastructure connectivity programme, rural incomes is bound to rise. Of course, the push by brands into the hinterland continues buoyed by the robust growth on the anvil. But the question is, have brands understood what it takes to market to the rural consumers. When it comes to rural activation, a lot of brands through rural marketing agencies look at van activation, video, shop activation like merchandising etc. While there's no doubt that they serve their purpose, but has any attempt been made to understand what makes the rural consumers click. The rural rich are no less when it comes to displaying their wealth — so what will it take to consume more? playing on their aspirations? For the rural masses, dependent on agri culture, is it enough for brands to just sell to them? Shouldn't it be a two way traffic, where we buy from them as well....your thoughts please
Rural India — have we understood the space?
Hi All,
In my course of work, i regularly come across the line that rural India is the next big wave that brands will ride on. And there are numbers that authenticate the thought. With bountiful monsoons, the agri produce will be abundant. Add to that the emphasis on rural through NREGA and rural infrastructure connectivity programme, rural incomes is bound to rise. Of course, the push by brands into the hinterland continues buoyed by the robust growth on the anvil. But the question is, have brands understood what it takes to market to the rural consumers. When it comes to rural activation, a lot of brands through rural marketing agencies look at van activation, video, shop activation like merchandising etc. While there's no doubt that they serve their purpose, but has any attempt been made to understand what makes the rural consumers click. The rural rich are no less when it comes to displaying their wealth — so what will it take to consume more? playing on their aspirations? For the rural masses, dependent on agri culture, is it enough for brands to just sell to them? Shouldn't it be a two way traffic, where we buy from them as well....your thoughts please
In my course of work, i regularly come across the line that rural India is the next big wave that brands will ride on. And there are numbers that authenticate the thought. With bountiful monsoons, the agri produce will be abundant. Add to that the emphasis on rural through NREGA and rural infrastructure connectivity programme, rural incomes is bound to rise. Of course, the push by brands into the hinterland continues buoyed by the robust growth on the anvil. But the question is, have brands understood what it takes to market to the rural consumers. When it comes to rural activation, a lot of brands through rural marketing agencies look at van activation, video, shop activation like merchandising etc. While there's no doubt that they serve their purpose, but has any attempt been made to understand what makes the rural consumers click. The rural rich are no less when it comes to displaying their wealth — so what will it take to consume more? playing on their aspirations? For the rural masses, dependent on agri culture, is it enough for brands to just sell to them? Shouldn't it be a two way traffic, where we buy from them as well....your thoughts please
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Ideas are out there, Where are you?
The week long stay at Cannes to cover the ad festival offered me a great chance to interact with CMOs. And one common thread that came out is the emphasis on innovation to fuel growth. But innovation or acquiring innovative ideas cannot be done in the traditional manner. Sure, brands have their internal resources to initiate innovation and of course partners such as agencies are expected to come out with innovative ideas as far as communication or marketing is concerned. But increasingly, brands are now adopting an open source environment when it comes to ideas that lead to innovation. Be it Procter's connect+develop or Unilever attempt with ideas from end users called crowdsourcing that shows that ideas can now come out of anywhere. Now one may argue that it is great to ideate but a different cup of tea when it comes to execution and that's where partners like agencies and their expertise come to fore. But the question is what stops agencies from creating an apparatus or a process that allows them to capture the ideas and convert them into viable innovation for brands? In the new age of agency-brand relationship, what can be a better value add to brands if agencies are themselves at the fore front of presenting innovation to its clients. And innovation need not be a commercial or a 30 seconder. It can be a media agnostic idea that rides both offline and online mediums with equal ease. Clients are putting a premium on ideas that transcend the normal boundaries of communications, but are agencies taking cognisance of that and re-drawing their structure to meet such a requirement?
Ideas are out there, where are you?
The week long stay at Cannes to cover the ad festival offered me a great chance to interact with CMOs. And one common thread that came out is the emphasis on innovation to fuel growth. But innovation or acquiring innovative ideas cannot be done in the traditional manner. Sure, brands have their internal resources to initiate innovation and of course partners such as agencies are expected to come out with innovative ideas as far as communication or marketing is concerned. But increasingly, brands are now adopting an open source environment when it comes to ideas that lead to innovation. Be it Procter's connect+develop or Unilever attempt with ideas from end users called crowdsourcing that shows that ideas can now come out of anywhere. Now one may argue that it is great to ideate but a different cup of tea when it comes to execution and that's where partners like agencies and their expertise come to fore. But the question is what stops agencies from creating an apparatus or a process that allows them to capture the ideas and convert them into viable innovation for brands? In the new age of agency-brand relationship, what can be a better value add to brands if agencies are themselves at the fore front of presenting innovation to its clients. And innovation need not be a commercial or a 30 seconder. It can be a media agnostic idea that rides both offline and online mediums with equal ease. Clients are putting a premium on ideas that transcend the normal boundaries of communications, but are agencies taking cognisance of that and re-drawing their structure to meet such a requirement?
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Ecosystem Marketing
Rajiv Banerjee
Like any other marketer, S Sivakumar, chief executive - agri business, ITC also talks about version 3.0. But it’s not about the trajectory when it comes to evolution of the consumers, but the business model - it’s echoupal 3.0, the next phase of ITC’s foray into the hinterland. But it’s not just Sivakumar from ITC who’s excited about turning a new page in the book. Because by the time e-choupal 3.0 assumes its final shape, a host of companies and brands will also stand to benefit. ITC may have provided the platform a decade ago. But improvising for the future and even the progress over the last 10 years owes something to what Sivakumar calls “a collective effort.” In short, it’s a trend which one will increasingly witness in the time to come - ecosystem marketing. Yes, a labyrinth of alliances and partnerships all aimed at fuelling the next wave of growth through the decade to come; growth that will be shared by and restricted to those who decided to collaborate . And it’s not just ITC who’s looking at creating an environment of long term strategic alliances, but even players like P&G , Intel and Nokia, who realise the importance of dependent growth to reach out to new markets. The concept of operating within an eco-system by theory and practise isn’t a new phenomenon. As Sumeet Vohra, director - marketing, P&G puts it; “even our ancestral farmers and traders worked in partnerships with each other and thus functioned within a beneficial eco-system .” What however has changed and made companies pay a greater degree of attention to creating a mutually beneficial environment is the Indian marketplace which has undergone a sea change in the last decade and is likely to change further in the time to come. “What has evolved is the increase in the number of players and hence the options to form ecosystems have multiplied. For instance, mobile and digital companies didn’t feature in the marketing set several years back, but are now strong pillars of the system,” adds Vohra. There are multiple triggers driving the need to create an ecosystem, the primary being meeting the consumer’s needs, both evolved and underserved. Take the example of ITC’s e-choupal , which according to Sivakumar works on the pivots of collaboration. The online initiative which started with four partners has now grown to 160 partners (brands, NGOs, governmental bodies and others) touching four million farmers across 107 districts in India. All For One The rural consumers, says Sivakumar are looking for solutions and not just products. “So to provide rural consumers access to complete services and solutions is like trawling in the deep sea. The transaction costs are high, therefore, an ecosystem approach is needed,” he states, adding that to create the whole chain, the objective is to get specialists in each solution offered on the platform. So the ecosystem created by ITC to reach out to rural consumers is also proving to be beneficial for Nokia, who’s looking at the same rural populace to fuel growth in India through Nokia Life Tools (Jeevan Saadhan). B V Natesh, head (emerging markets), Nokia India says. “The partnerships depend on how much a brand influences the livelihood of the target audience. So one looks at alliances from how does a partner benefit from it and what is the usefulness of such a partnership over a long timeframe for the consumers.” For instance, the eco-system Nokia is looking to create involves diverse players — from ITC and Syngenta to even the Spices board and the national horticulture board. An ecosystem, brands realise, works even in high clutter urban markets. The high octane growth in India has lead to a more evolved consumer prompting brands to look at alliances to satisfy the growing desire for an experience. Citing the example of personal computers, Prakash Bagri, head - marketing, Intel, says that the purchase of a PC swings from going to telcos for connectivity to procuring hardware to figuring out content. “Now they can access it from each player individually or the players can team up to provide a complete package,” says Bagri, adding that one harnesses the collective power driving towards growth.
And it could be driven by as diverse a partnership as one involving a technology player like Intel and a retail chain, Staples. “So the programme is all about configuring the PC the way you want and it is then delivered to you. There is a vendor and an assembler doing it for you,” states Bagri. In another instance of how partnerships can be forged between seemingly unlikely players, FMCG major P&G teamed up with Appleton, a player in the paper industry for fabric enhancers. “We found that Appleton had been utilising the ‘fragrance burst’ technology in the carbonless paper industry for the last 50 years. With this partnership was born perfume microcapsules in fabric enhancers at much lower costs,” says Vohra. The result — “cost savings, competitive edge and patent protection, our fabric enhancer category saw consumer wins in over six countries,” claims Vohra. The advent of ecosystem marketing has also lead to brands looking at a new monetisation model. Brand marketers like Bagri of Intel says that it has to move from the present ecosystem promotion , where one brand gets a discounted offer vis-a-vis another for tie ups. The quest for the right monetisation model however remains unsolved as an ecosystem involves both for profit and not for profit partners. So horses for the courses, brand managers say, is the only solution for now. “It’s a tough one for brands on how to monetise it. There are some models evolving but it depends on each segment,” says Bagri. Jasmeet Gandhi, head - services , Nokia says in the monetisation model between operators and VAS, there’s a certain way of doing business. “Aggregators go to operators, operators distribute it for them and they take a slice of the revenue,” says Gandhi. In the ecosystem way, the model involves looking at a producer of innovative ideas. “So you aggregate them and make it equitable for them so that there’s a process of continuous innovation.” In the case of NLT, Natesh adds that the company hasn’t gone through the content supplier and revenue sharing model. “All the players involved are ones who have a perceived need to be seen as a solution’s player. So it may not be an outright revenue model for them, but partners realise it’s a huge consumer awareness programme for brands which the conventional media reach cannot give,” he says. There’s also the scenario that looking at long term strategic alliances becomes a full fledged function within a company. Worldwide , companies like Philips have separate alliance teams who scout for new growth areas through partnerships (See: The New Equation on page 1). While some brands worldwide are breaking the responsibilities of short term quarterly objectives from long term vision, marketers in India believe there can’t be any trade off. “One earns the right to focus on long term by managing short term results. Managerial leadership is all about acquiring balance between responsibilities,” says Sivakumar. Gandhi of Nokia concurs; “Commitment to partnerships could be long term, but marketing to achieve an objective on the road is short term and is tactical.” Just as the new geo-political changes have resulted in balance of power shifting from one country to another, battle for more market share will mean keeping your eyes and ears open for alliances. For even a seemingly insignificant player can complete the picture and become the fuel for the next wave of growth.
(source: The Economic Times, Brand Equity)
Like any other marketer, S Sivakumar, chief executive - agri business, ITC also talks about version 3.0. But it’s not about the trajectory when it comes to evolution of the consumers, but the business model - it’s echoupal 3.0, the next phase of ITC’s foray into the hinterland. But it’s not just Sivakumar from ITC who’s excited about turning a new page in the book. Because by the time e-choupal 3.0 assumes its final shape, a host of companies and brands will also stand to benefit. ITC may have provided the platform a decade ago. But improvising for the future and even the progress over the last 10 years owes something to what Sivakumar calls “a collective effort.” In short, it’s a trend which one will increasingly witness in the time to come - ecosystem marketing. Yes, a labyrinth of alliances and partnerships all aimed at fuelling the next wave of growth through the decade to come; growth that will be shared by and restricted to those who decided to collaborate . And it’s not just ITC who’s looking at creating an environment of long term strategic alliances, but even players like P&G , Intel and Nokia, who realise the importance of dependent growth to reach out to new markets. The concept of operating within an eco-system by theory and practise isn’t a new phenomenon. As Sumeet Vohra, director - marketing, P&G puts it; “even our ancestral farmers and traders worked in partnerships with each other and thus functioned within a beneficial eco-system .” What however has changed and made companies pay a greater degree of attention to creating a mutually beneficial environment is the Indian marketplace which has undergone a sea change in the last decade and is likely to change further in the time to come. “What has evolved is the increase in the number of players and hence the options to form ecosystems have multiplied. For instance, mobile and digital companies didn’t feature in the marketing set several years back, but are now strong pillars of the system,” adds Vohra. There are multiple triggers driving the need to create an ecosystem, the primary being meeting the consumer’s needs, both evolved and underserved. Take the example of ITC’s e-choupal , which according to Sivakumar works on the pivots of collaboration. The online initiative which started with four partners has now grown to 160 partners (brands, NGOs, governmental bodies and others) touching four million farmers across 107 districts in India. All For One The rural consumers, says Sivakumar are looking for solutions and not just products. “So to provide rural consumers access to complete services and solutions is like trawling in the deep sea. The transaction costs are high, therefore, an ecosystem approach is needed,” he states, adding that to create the whole chain, the objective is to get specialists in each solution offered on the platform. So the ecosystem created by ITC to reach out to rural consumers is also proving to be beneficial for Nokia, who’s looking at the same rural populace to fuel growth in India through Nokia Life Tools (Jeevan Saadhan). B V Natesh, head (emerging markets), Nokia India says. “The partnerships depend on how much a brand influences the livelihood of the target audience. So one looks at alliances from how does a partner benefit from it and what is the usefulness of such a partnership over a long timeframe for the consumers.” For instance, the eco-system Nokia is looking to create involves diverse players — from ITC and Syngenta to even the Spices board and the national horticulture board. An ecosystem, brands realise, works even in high clutter urban markets. The high octane growth in India has lead to a more evolved consumer prompting brands to look at alliances to satisfy the growing desire for an experience. Citing the example of personal computers, Prakash Bagri, head - marketing, Intel, says that the purchase of a PC swings from going to telcos for connectivity to procuring hardware to figuring out content. “Now they can access it from each player individually or the players can team up to provide a complete package,” says Bagri, adding that one harnesses the collective power driving towards growth.
And it could be driven by as diverse a partnership as one involving a technology player like Intel and a retail chain, Staples. “So the programme is all about configuring the PC the way you want and it is then delivered to you. There is a vendor and an assembler doing it for you,” states Bagri. In another instance of how partnerships can be forged between seemingly unlikely players, FMCG major P&G teamed up with Appleton, a player in the paper industry for fabric enhancers. “We found that Appleton had been utilising the ‘fragrance burst’ technology in the carbonless paper industry for the last 50 years. With this partnership was born perfume microcapsules in fabric enhancers at much lower costs,” says Vohra. The result — “cost savings, competitive edge and patent protection, our fabric enhancer category saw consumer wins in over six countries,” claims Vohra. The advent of ecosystem marketing has also lead to brands looking at a new monetisation model. Brand marketers like Bagri of Intel says that it has to move from the present ecosystem promotion , where one brand gets a discounted offer vis-a-vis another for tie ups. The quest for the right monetisation model however remains unsolved as an ecosystem involves both for profit and not for profit partners. So horses for the courses, brand managers say, is the only solution for now. “It’s a tough one for brands on how to monetise it. There are some models evolving but it depends on each segment,” says Bagri. Jasmeet Gandhi, head - services , Nokia says in the monetisation model between operators and VAS, there’s a certain way of doing business. “Aggregators go to operators, operators distribute it for them and they take a slice of the revenue,” says Gandhi. In the ecosystem way, the model involves looking at a producer of innovative ideas. “So you aggregate them and make it equitable for them so that there’s a process of continuous innovation.” In the case of NLT, Natesh adds that the company hasn’t gone through the content supplier and revenue sharing model. “All the players involved are ones who have a perceived need to be seen as a solution’s player. So it may not be an outright revenue model for them, but partners realise it’s a huge consumer awareness programme for brands which the conventional media reach cannot give,” he says. There’s also the scenario that looking at long term strategic alliances becomes a full fledged function within a company. Worldwide , companies like Philips have separate alliance teams who scout for new growth areas through partnerships (See: The New Equation on page 1). While some brands worldwide are breaking the responsibilities of short term quarterly objectives from long term vision, marketers in India believe there can’t be any trade off. “One earns the right to focus on long term by managing short term results. Managerial leadership is all about acquiring balance between responsibilities,” says Sivakumar. Gandhi of Nokia concurs; “Commitment to partnerships could be long term, but marketing to achieve an objective on the road is short term and is tactical.” Just as the new geo-political changes have resulted in balance of power shifting from one country to another, battle for more market share will mean keeping your eyes and ears open for alliances. For even a seemingly insignificant player can complete the picture and become the fuel for the next wave of growth.
(source: The Economic Times, Brand Equity)
Women on the steering wheel
Hi All,
As more and more cars come on the road, one of the interesting point has been the increase in the number of women drivers. Not only in Mumbai, i have seen it across other metros like Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai and it's not just the small passenger cars, but even SUVs that have women at the steering (minus the family). Started thinking as to what could be the reason behind this? Sure, affluence, better life styles are all there, but my guess is it's more got to do with freedom. So, even if one takes an upwardly mobile woman professional managing both work and home, it's possible that she's not in complete control in these two environment for a variety of reasons. However, driving a car gives her the complete freedom that she possibly yearns for in her normal life. Inside the vehicle, there's no one to tell her what to do, what not to do and she is free to accelerate or decelerate. Now, if that's the case, wouldn't be an interesting insight for a car maker to focus upon and communicate? In the world of segmentation, slicing the pie and creating a new segment riding on the sensibilities can help car brands break the clutter. Your thoughts on this please...
regards
As more and more cars come on the road, one of the interesting point has been the increase in the number of women drivers. Not only in Mumbai, i have seen it across other metros like Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai and it's not just the small passenger cars, but even SUVs that have women at the steering (minus the family). Started thinking as to what could be the reason behind this? Sure, affluence, better life styles are all there, but my guess is it's more got to do with freedom. So, even if one takes an upwardly mobile woman professional managing both work and home, it's possible that she's not in complete control in these two environment for a variety of reasons. However, driving a car gives her the complete freedom that she possibly yearns for in her normal life. Inside the vehicle, there's no one to tell her what to do, what not to do and she is free to accelerate or decelerate. Now, if that's the case, wouldn't be an interesting insight for a car maker to focus upon and communicate? In the world of segmentation, slicing the pie and creating a new segment riding on the sensibilities can help car brands break the clutter. Your thoughts on this please...
regards
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Pepsi-Coke commercials
Hi All,
Saw the new commercials from Coca Cola and Pepsi involving Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor respectively. While getting the two youth bollywood stars does project a young contemporary feel to the brand, somehow, I seem to be missing the zing that was usually associated with cola ads. The smart ambush of Pepsi, Sprite and Thums Up taking sublte potshots at each other gave it an edginess and something to look forward to. The Paanch from Coke provided the rustic and tangy flavour to a MNC beverage brand. All that seems to have dissappeared. Internationally though, Coca Cola has some interesting commercials even now, but somehow the hatke pure Indian creative element is missing. Is it because that the goal post now has changed, from beverages to more action oriented categories like telecom and insurance which are more high decibel today? Or is it case of creative bankruptcy? Please share your thoughts.
regards
Rajiv
Saw the new commercials from Coca Cola and Pepsi involving Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor respectively. While getting the two youth bollywood stars does project a young contemporary feel to the brand, somehow, I seem to be missing the zing that was usually associated with cola ads. The smart ambush of Pepsi, Sprite and Thums Up taking sublte potshots at each other gave it an edginess and something to look forward to. The Paanch from Coke provided the rustic and tangy flavour to a MNC beverage brand. All that seems to have dissappeared. Internationally though, Coca Cola has some interesting commercials even now, but somehow the hatke pure Indian creative element is missing. Is it because that the goal post now has changed, from beverages to more action oriented categories like telecom and insurance which are more high decibel today? Or is it case of creative bankruptcy? Please share your thoughts.
regards
Rajiv
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Rin-Tide Face Off
Hi All,
By now, everyone must have seen the Rin ad taking on P&G's Tide openly. I am sure there's more to come in the days ahead on this but wanted to check if there are any instances nationally or international of comparative advertising, where rivals brands have openly sparred? Do let me know and also do let me know what you think of the Rin ad running on TV?
thanks
By now, everyone must have seen the Rin ad taking on P&G's Tide openly. I am sure there's more to come in the days ahead on this but wanted to check if there are any instances nationally or international of comparative advertising, where rivals brands have openly sparred? Do let me know and also do let me know what you think of the Rin ad running on TV?
thanks
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Horn OK Please
Horn OK Please
Finally the broad contours of Brand Rahul is taking shape. In the last general elections which the Congress won a majority mandate, the scion of Nehru dynasty and touted to be the future PM was credited with providing crucial ideas, albeit remaining in the back ground. In the past few months however, Rahul Gandhi seems to have shed the tentativeness about coming to the fore. To begin with Rahul Gandhi has legacy behind him; an illustrious background which gives him the leverage against other youth leaders in India. But merely having the umbrella of the mother brand is only half the job done. And it has its flip side too, as expectations tend to be a notch higher when it comes to names with famous backgrounds. So make the brand accessible to create a mass appeal — jumping the security cordon to meet the common man, eating with them, mingle with the youth and of course, ride on the transport which takes millions back and forth. And as is evident, there’s nothing better than a dash of controversy or debate to create high recall — be it reality shows, IPL or even Rahul’s visit to Mumbai. Buzz marketing always works.
GO LONG , GO SHORT
MARKETERS have long faced this dilemma of should it be short term goals or long term strategic objectives? Meeting the short term quarterly numbers are as important as keeping long term marketing objectives of innovation, distribution which ensure sustainable performance of a brand in the long run. The solution to this conundrum is an interesting line of thought which is slowly emerging — separate teams for the short term and long term marketing objectives . Not necessarily working in silos, two teams however allow the brands to dedicate resources who purely look at innovation across the spectrum, while the other set is focussed on meeting the numbers every quarter.
Source: The Economic Times
Finally the broad contours of Brand Rahul is taking shape. In the last general elections which the Congress won a majority mandate, the scion of Nehru dynasty and touted to be the future PM was credited with providing crucial ideas, albeit remaining in the back ground. In the past few months however, Rahul Gandhi seems to have shed the tentativeness about coming to the fore. To begin with Rahul Gandhi has legacy behind him; an illustrious background which gives him the leverage against other youth leaders in India. But merely having the umbrella of the mother brand is only half the job done. And it has its flip side too, as expectations tend to be a notch higher when it comes to names with famous backgrounds. So make the brand accessible to create a mass appeal — jumping the security cordon to meet the common man, eating with them, mingle with the youth and of course, ride on the transport which takes millions back and forth. And as is evident, there’s nothing better than a dash of controversy or debate to create high recall — be it reality shows, IPL or even Rahul’s visit to Mumbai. Buzz marketing always works.
GO LONG , GO SHORT
MARKETERS have long faced this dilemma of should it be short term goals or long term strategic objectives? Meeting the short term quarterly numbers are as important as keeping long term marketing objectives of innovation, distribution which ensure sustainable performance of a brand in the long run. The solution to this conundrum is an interesting line of thought which is slowly emerging — separate teams for the short term and long term marketing objectives . Not necessarily working in silos, two teams however allow the brands to dedicate resources who purely look at innovation across the spectrum, while the other set is focussed on meeting the numbers every quarter.
Source: The Economic Times
Back In Action
After a long hiatus, am back to look at the world of marketing, branding and advertising. My views, views written as articles in publications is there for everyone to read and comment. I believe the only way i can learn is by actively engaging and sharing thoughts with like minded people. So please keep your comments and feedback coming
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)