MARKATHON

MARKETING MAGAZINE OF IIM SHILLONG VOL 3, ISSUE 6

DECEMBER 11

Cover Story Education An Evolving Landscape

INTERVIEW: JACK TROUT, PRESIDENT OF TROUT & PARTNERS LTD. INTERVIEW: SHIVA KUMAR, MD & VP, NOKIA INDIA

FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,
2011 has come to a close and what a year it has been! Tata Sons finally has a successor to Ratan Tata - Cyrus Mistry has proved to be the proverbial dark horse and is all set to don the chairmans hat come December 2012, when Ratan Tatas tenure ends. The story of how Pallonji Mistrys son dropped out from the panel formed to choose an heir for the conglomerate and become a candidate for the same race is fascinating. Interestingly, Cyrus Mistry is an Irish national and will become the first non-Indian citizen to hold the chairmanship of Tata Sons. During Ratan Tatas tenure, the Tata brand went from being an Nov 2011Cover Indian conglomerate to one of the best recognised brands worldwide. Several high profile international acquisitions saw Tata become a truly global player and Cyrus Mistry has a difficult task ahead in terms of matching his predecessor, leave alone outshining him. 2011 also saw the launch of the much touted ultra-low cost Indian tablet Akaash. This tablet is supposed to revolutionise education in India. Education in India has often been overlooked and the Governments policies have always fallen short of amending it. Team Markathon was fascinated by how the Education industry in India works and how it has changed radically in the recent past. Our cover story for the month Education An Evolving Landscape looks at this evolution from a marketing perspective and also gives out interesting snippets on how some companies are innovating to tackle some of the biggest issues plaguing the education sector in India. I am sure the readers will find this story a fascinating read. Decembers Vartalaap has two of the biggest names Markathon has ever seen. The first is Jack Trout. Jack Trout, who along with Al Ries ( Interviewed in July 2011 edition of Markathon) came up with the concept of Positioning in 1972, is the pre-eminent guru of Marketing Strategy. He has authored over 10 bestsellers dealing with the domain of Marketing and has consulted the whos who of the Fortune 500. He talks exclusively to Markathon on various topics right from his education years to his assignments with Indian companies like the Bajaj Group.

From the world of corporates, the Vartalaap for this month features Mr. D Shivakumar, the Managing Director and Vice President of Nokia India, who is set to take over as the head of the newly formed India, Middle East and Africa sales region covering about 90 countries. In this exclusive interview for Markathon, he talks about his days at IIM Calcutta and also about Nokias strategies to overcome the slump it currently faces. The readers will certainly not want to miss this excellent interview. 2011 was a great year for Markathon with many great interviews and also the wide range of sectors we covered in our cover stories. Team Markathon is grateful to all the readers for their constant support and encouragement throughout the year. We hope 2012 will only see us scaling newer heights. Do send in your feedback and suggestions to markathon.iims@gmail.com Sit back and enjoy this edition! Happy Reading!

Jitesh Pradeep Patel

THE MARKATHON TEAM

EDITOR
Jitesh Pradeep Patel

SUB EDITORS
Gaurav Ralhan Kaustubh Rawool Rahul Mantri Ritika Nagar Sria Majumdar

CREATIVE DESIGNERS
Yashwanth Reddy Mandipati Sana Parvez Akhtar MEMBERS G S N Aditya Piyush Agarwal Mayur Jain Sowmya R Swati Nidiganti Umang Kulshreshtha Priya Kumari Agrawal Rushika Sabnis

CONTENTS

markathon | november 2011

FEATURED ARTICLES PERSPECTIVE

Cause marketing: The Worst a Brand can Get
PRANAY SINGH| FMS

5 8

PERSPECTIVE
Importance of Marketing: From Inception to Conclusion ASHISH AGARWAL | FMS Delhi

VARTALAAP JACK TROUT

PRESIDENT, TROUT & PARTNERS LTD.

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12 16 17 25 26 27 28

VARTALAAP SHIVA KUMAR

MD & VP, NOKIA INDIA

COVER STORY EDUCATION AN EVOLOVING LANDSCAPE

SWATI | RUSHIKA | ADITYA IIM S

WAR ZONE EYE 2 EYE

DoES Government intervention and equity infusion save the Indian Aviation industry players who are reeling under huge LOSSES?
ANGIKA SAGAR |DEEPIKA SINHA| IIM S

SILENT VOICE
Horlicks Oats- Three Way Health Advantage

SPECIALS
SANA AKHTAR

BRAND STORY BOOKMARK

SRIA MAJUMDAR

UPDATES
MAYUR JAIN

perspective

November markathon | december 2011

Cause marketing: The Worst a Brand can get

Pranay singh | fms
Over the last few years, companies have evolved their marketing campaigns ranging from plain old direct marketing to now ubiquitous social media marketing. Along the way, there have been many innovations which made everyone, including critics sit up and take notice. One such tool, a result of this innovation is Cause marketing which engages and empowers the consumer while providing them with brand affinity at the same time. Cause marketing can be defined as a strategic positioning and marketing tool that links a company or a brand to a relevant social cause or issue, for mutual benefit. American Express first coined the phrase Cause Related Marketing (CRM) in the 1980s while raising money for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. CRM is not a new phenomenon for companies but, over the course of last few years it has become a preferred medium to get connected with consumers. It is differentiated from other campaigns by the espousal of an idea to solve a problem which is affecting the nation or its resources. The campaign gets a national platform by empowering peoples voices through mainly social media. Global Cause marketing Success India and Business school students. The campaigns association with the TATA brand enhanced its efficacy and reach. TATA has always been considered as an institution which puts societal benefit first.

Another example is Aircels Save Our Tiger campaign which highlighted the acute situation our national animal now faces. Although, it cannot be considered as a brand synchronization exercise for Aircel as its a telecom company but the campaign tagline Only 1411 left helped awaken todays socially connected youth. This goes on to show that CRM is a tool which if used sensibly, can be effective in leveraging public opinion for brand recognition. FMCG major P&Gs strategy regarding CRM is interesting. Around a year back, they had a campaign called P&G Shiksha through which, for every P&G product purchased, a contribution went for the education of under privileged children. They aimed at opening 20+ schools across India. Anupam Kher was chosen as the campaigns brand ambassador.

In the Indian context, the prime example has been a legend of sorts. Tata teas Jaago Re campaign raised the topic of total participation of an individual in our democratic process and also its various lacunae. Its success can be gauged from the fact that even now it is known as the flag bearer of CRM among Corporate 5

perspective The move was sensible considering other initiatives but somehow not very innovative as expected from a global leader. According to P&G, the campaign was successful as it reached a large number of children. But, there was a clash of ideas as another similar initiative was already in place by P&Gs rival ITC through its classmate range of notebooks. Their brand communication was very clear and the channel employed by ITC to communicate this initiative was the product itself. So, in a way the product itself became the brand ambassador and communicated the message. P&G did not bring anything new to the table in this competitive space.

markathon || december 2011 markathon November 2011 Firstly, from an Indian citizens perspective, India as a nation does not require any new monuments for dedication to soldiers. The Amar Jawan Jyoti (Immortal soldier Flame) and India Gate over the years have represented this spirit across India and no one complained till now. Why this sudden need at a time when a product is being launched. The target philosophy behind this brand initiative is not catering to any immediate need of consumer. Other point being, whether we like it or not, Gateway of India or any other monument of the British Raj are a part of our history and to manifest them through a brands interest would be foolish as it tries to change historys structure. Otherwise, Rashtrapati Bhawan and other monuments are next in line for other new products. Also, these structures, either Mughal era architecture or British Raj monuments like Victoria memorial represent our unique cultural diversity while this campaign represents a parochial interest group

Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism -George Washington Once again, P&G is attempting to do same thing with its Gillette brand. With the launch of its new product Soldier Razor, P&G tried to identify itself as a brand which cares for the soldiers of India and tries to connect with the soldier spirit of every Indian. Another step in this direction is the petition to rededicate Gateway of India. According to the wise men in P&G India, Gateway of India will then represent the courage and the imbibed soldier in everyday Indian. Our Indian soldier certainly deserves all the praise and appreciation because they guard our frontiers of our country round the clock which makes it possible for us to function as a country and achieve all that we have. Although, on the face of it, the campaign certainly seems like a good step for the product to connect everyone in a single thread but, the fundamental deficit lies in its basic premise. which is inclined to take such a disastrous step. As far as rededication is concerned, all monuments on the Indian land were dedicated to every Indian on the stroke of midnight when India famously had its tryst with destiny. So, this rededication just shows that these historical structures do not belong to Indians and are properties of a foreign land. A strategic perspective behind successful CRM campaigns is that they are designed around an existing social/national problem and all brand communication is centered on that problem structure. This helps the brand connect with people as they feel empowered to do something for that cause and at least psychologically they support the initiative taken by the brand, which helps in creating an instant top of the mind brand recall.

perspective perspective Whereas in this case, Gillette created a non-existent problem structure (rededication of Gateway of India) and then created all communication around it. In essence, this rededication is not a social or national problem and hence will only be remembered as one of the many marketing gimmicks. Other flawed aspect from a strategic point of view is that if this initiative which is designed to enhance communication with people is a good strategy then, the ambassadors should be identifiable with the campaign. So, instead of real war time heroes or others identifiable with this social spirit, what we see is Arjun Rampal and Neha Dhupia stressing the brand value and soldier theme. P&G is considered as a pioneer in advertising and marketing. Its known for the innovation in sports marketing campaigns and commercials featuring elite players of every sport, be it Rahul Dravid, Thierry Henry, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. The selection of celebrities for their CMR campaign surely comes as a rude shock. Gillette previously had campaigns like Gillette Champions which held got the attention of everyone in its target segment and put forth their brand proposition. Gillette Champions: the Best a Campaign can get

markathon | November 2011 markathon | december 2011

want to relate it in any way to their new offering. This creates a clutter in brand offering and subsequently in the customers mind which does not help the brand in any way. The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do -Michael Porter The worst a brand can go is by not being clear about its value proposition and although this is road less taken by leaders of any product category, Gillette certainly chose to take it. I believe that a company like P&G would have certainly done extensive market research and analysis before launching such a unique marketing campaign with so much cost involved. It surprises me how off they were though, in terms of their brand association. The idea behind directing people towards your brands Facebook page and requiring them to like it in order to support your cause is too old and flooding their Facebook walls with messages from the brand once the campaign is over certainly does not break any new grounds in terms of innovation. The aim of such a marketing campaign is to set ideals and beliefs for the people. This idea, over the course of time will certainly draw attention for its focused petition signing spree but Gillettes success for this campaign looks bleak.

And last but not the least, the marketing communication is different for print campaigns and TV ads. In the TV ads, the primary question asked is Should the Gateway of India be dedicated to Indian Soldiers? But, in its print ads, the company urges a rededication to the spirit of the soldier in every Indian. This difference between the communication and goals is very ambiguous and clearly shows they somehow 7

perspective

markathon | august markathon | december 2011

Importance of Marketing: From Inception To Conclusion

Ashish Agarwal | FMS Delhi
Author and management expert Peter Drucker very aptly mentions: Because the purpose of business is to create and keep a customer, the business enterprise has two and only two basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business. Marketing in its very etymology includes market and that is what any product or service launched desires to serve. The aim of a business to earn profit is met through its customers and here comes the role of Marketing. Marketing is necessary to realize what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development . An idea is just a potential business. Now to realize the possibility of the conversion from idea to business is where the point of marketing starts. Marketing since Inception of the idea of the product or service to be offered is when the curiosity is created in the minds of the customer. Marketing should be treated more as a way to trigger conversations than a broadcast channel, marketing has been by far the best way to hone product pitch and improve it too. Marketing during initial phases helps to nurture products, position them strategically, assess the competition, and work toward products development. Moreover it helps in developing product-pricing strategies and monitoring trends. A very generic idea of marketing an idea was displayed by Mark Zuckerberg when he used the faces of students of Harvard University to spread his idea of comparing photos online. Today we all know how that small marketing idea led to creation of one of fastest growing Internet Company with more than 800mn users and revenues of more than $4.25bn . Successful Launching a product is as important as developing it. Devising a Marketing strategy aligned with the Customer and partner needs provides the product much needed recognition and acceptance from its target audience. Various aspects of Marketing in launch broadly involve (a)Market Analysis, (b)Competitor Offering,(c)Targeting Customers,(d)Unique Value Proposition, and (e)Pilot Customers among others. Assuming that marketing will take care of itself can prove expensive at later stage. Apart from creating awareness about the product it also dictates important budgeting and long-term planning decisions. A successful marketing campaign drives hundreds of first time consumers who in turn spread word of mouth driving other thousands. Today it is common to see Bollywood movie makers exploring new avenues to market their product (the movie, its music, its ringtones) during the release of the movie. Approximately 70 percent of a movies revenue such as theatrical, home video and satellite are impacted by its marketing buzz, so the marketing has to

perspective perspective undoubtedly be very effective, says Studio 18 VP marketing, distribution and syndication Priti Shahani. The table below shows the expenditure incurred in Marketing and Promotion of famous movies made in Bollywood in recent past. As the product changes from being introduced to being accepted by the customers, the role of Marketing in growth of product changes from establishing the Brand to creating brand Loyalty and increasing the customer base. At this stage Marketing activities are designed to i) get your potential customer's attention ii) motivate them to buy iii) get them to actually buy iv) get them to buy again (and again). It is more about making the consumer realize the companys unique product proposition that demarks it from the competition around. In case the firm deals with products in which the features and customer desires keeps on changing, lack of proper marketing can prove fatal. The growing market share in Telecom is the youth and realizing the same Airtel has recently launched its Har ek friend zaroori hota hai campaign. The campaign catches the youths sentiments and positions the brand in the most vibrant and happening target segment. The campaign has been very successful in getting Airtel the attention and its dominance in the youth market by focussing on the friendship concept. This campaign illustrates that the fast today's marketer reacts to these change agents will decide the success of their brand. In todays fierce market competition, relatively similar product quality, and excessive marketing by all companies, the quality of service provided after-sales of the product becomes a major differentiator for any customer. Poor after-sales has more annoying effect on a customer than minor faults in the product quality, as it directly reflects on the customer friendliness of the firm. Apart from customer service, after-sales have also proved to be a source of revenue for many manufacturing firms. Manufacturers of

markathon | december 2011 markathon | august 2011 everything from automobiles and consumer durables to security systems and technology equipment have realized that revenues from after-sales product installation, configuration, maintenance, and repairs are around 30 percent of their total revenues, and the proportion is increasing. Moreover, recent Economic downturn has made everyone realize the importance of after sales service marketing (eg. Chevrolet Motors) when customer buying sentiments were all time low. During July 2011, when car sales were falling, Chevrolet managed to increase sales by 34% . One of the reasons for the increase as mentioned by Mr. P. Balendran, Vice President, GM India is unique value propositions in terms of Chevrolet promise to deliver quality and performance have also contributed to the impressive sales. The promise detailed the 5 year free after sales service the company would provide to its customers, which was core of their marketing strategy during the slowdown phases. There has never been any doubt about the importance of marketing but realizing its potential from inception to conclusion has led to creation of Successful Global brands in Ford, Apple or our Indian Brands like Tata or Airtel. The firms have always utilized the Marketing strategies be it 4Ps, STP or Branding to keep their products ahead of competitors and increase their benefits to shareholders. From Inception of the idea of Product or service to its conclusion which covers the whole life cycle Marketing has definitive and significant role which is instrumental for market share growth. Realizing the fact many multinational firms have created a Chief Marketing Officer level post at par with other Executive level, to foster and better coordinate the Marketing strategies. At last it becomes imperative to mention that Quality of product or service is quintessential and Marketing can only enhance and accentuate the USP of the product making them more desirable.

Vartalaap

markathon | december markathon | December 2011

An Interview with Mr Jack Trout

President of Trout & Partners Ltd. An international marketing consultancy, Connecticut

Mr Jack Trout is the president of Trout & Partners Ltd. an international marketing consultancy based in Connecticut. The marketing guru is the originator of Positioning, Marketing Warfare theory and many leading edge marketing strategies. He has written many books on marketing and brand management, right from the famous Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind in 1981 to the latest Repositioning: Marketing in an Era of Competition, Change, and Crisis in 2010. In his 40 years of consulting career he has been associated with big brands like Hewlett-Packard, Southwest Airlines, Merck, Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, AT&T, Intel and many others including Brand USA, helping Democrats to regain leadership in 2006. He has gained an international reputation as a consultant, writer, speaker, and proponent of leading-edge marketing strategies.

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Vartalaap

markathon | december 2011

If you understand how the mind works, You will understand Positioning

basic definition of Positioning which is how to differentiate yourself in the mind of your prospects. Markathon: Youve been closely involved with Bajaj in India. What was the rationale behind asking them to remove the Bajaj name from all but their 2-wheeler business? Mr. Jack: Bajaj has been involved with building subbrands such as Apple (Mac, iPod, iPad). They have Discover, Pulsar and Boxer. Rajiv Bajaj has felt that this was the priority in building a portfolio of motorcycle brands. Perhaps they will re-introduce Bajaj as the brought-to-you by brand in coming months when their new retail stores are opened. Markathon How have Global Brands evolved in the last decade or so; in the context of the emerging economies becoming a massive consumer base? Mr. Jack: The scope of the marketing problem has now become the entire world because of the global economy. Places like China, India and Eastern Europe are now getting into the brand building business. China has put my positioning material into Peking Universitys business school. They are Chinas Harvard so you can see that it is a major priority as China moves from manufacturing to marketing.

Markathon: Could you tell us something about your early years, your education and how you began your career in the Advertising department at General Electric? Mr. Jack: My early years were about getting a college degree in Economics and spending a tour in the U.S. Navy flying on and off an aircraft carrier. From there it was off to General Electric and their training program in advertising and public relations. I had a choice of Procter & Gamble, IBM or GE. I chose General Electric. Markathon: What was the genesis of the Positioning concept? How and when did Al Ries and you come up with this powerful idea? Mr. Jack: It all started in 1969 with the first article I wrote on the subject. I was looking for a competitive process to describe how our advertising agency approached problems. I borrowed a military term to describe this process which is about the battle for the mind. The rest is history. Markathon: Your laws on the concepts of marketing and about influencing the mind have often been compared to Newtons Laws of Physics and yet there are companies which have failed to abide by these tenets. Why do you think the companies often fail in getting into the consumers minds? Mr. Jack: Most problems are caused by companies that use the word but dont understand the theories. Or they violate the laws because of pressure from Wall Street to grow beyond where they should grow. They lose focus. Markathon: You have had a very successful career as an author including many bestsellers. Which of those books is the closest to you and why? Mr. Jack: My favourite is Differentiate or Die. While Positioning is critical to understand, figuring out how to do it is what Differentiate is all about. It gets to the

Markathon: Do you see any key trends emerging that will revolutionise the marketing world in the coming decade? Mr. Jack: Naturally. The internet is a new tool but it is a work in progress. More and more companies are just in a learning process as to improve their marketing skills so as to better compete in the global economy. Everything old is new again.

Markathon: Any words of advice for our readers who are looking to start a career in marketing and brand management? Mr. Jack: My advice is always the same. Find some smart people to work with and a company you admire. Marketing takes on the job training.

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Vartalaap

markathon | december 2011

An Interview with Mr Shivakumar

Managing Director & Vice President - Nokia India Private Limited

Mr. D. Shivakumar is the Managing Director and Vice President of Sales for mobile phones in Nokia India Private Limited. Having done his B.E from IIT Chennai and Post-graduation from IIM Calcutta, he has handled more than 34 brands in his two decade long career, Hindustan Lever, Philips consumer electronics, Godrej Consumer products being few of the most prominent ones. With a bulk of experience in marketing and general management, he shares insights on changing consumer patterns with reference to different industries ranging from FMCG to Consumer Electronics and Nokias upcoming strategies in this competitive industry.

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Vartalaap

markathon | december 2011

Markathon: Tell us something about your years in IIM Calcutta. How have some of the experiences you had in college helped you over the years in your career? Mr. Shivakumar: IIM Calcutta was a very open institute. The Professors and the institute treated us like adults; it was a very healthy interaction. We never had things like compulsory attendance and it allowed us to go to the classes we wanted to, treating us like adults which most other institutes in the country fail to do. The other factor was the small batch size unlike the institutes nowadays. We had a batch of 97 students and people knew everybody else. We also had a very good mix of academic, social and extracurricular interaction. We had a good dialogue with the faculty there as well as teamwork with our peers. The students pursued things which made sense to them and there was ample opportunity for everyone which I think helped us a great deal in our careers. Markathon: You have had wide experience across the consumer electronics industry in India. How have the consumers in this industry changed over the last decade? Mr. Shivakumar: I would say not just the consumer electronics industry, but the Indian consumers as a whole. Indian consumers have always had an aspiration for brands, which has moved up significantly in the last decade or so with the explosion of media, the exposure to brands and with more international brands coming into India. Second thing is the Indian consumers fascination with design and the ability to pay for it also has moved up significantly, whether we look at bikes or cars or packaging

etc. Packaging is no longer utilitarian; it is truly a sensory element to add to the final appeal of the product. The third dimension is how the Indian consumer has moved up on the aspect of sensory appeal of categories. Whether it is about fragrance, touch- feel every single element of the five senses. Let us take taste for example; the taste profiles of most of the food products and toothpastes have changed dramatically over the last decade. Another thing I would say is the consumer receptivity towards advertising, the whole concept of storytelling. The concept that advertising not just informs but builds an emotional bond and connects to the consumer. I also feel that the Indian consumer has shifted from a price equation to more of a value equation, so price is no longer the one-dimensional measure for whether the consumer will buy a product or not. The Indian consumer, especially the young people have taken to a big way to digital information and the internet. This growth has been phenomenal and young people have taken to technology and digital information faster than most other countries in the world.

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Vartalaap Markathon: What was the rationale behind the newlyformed India, Middle East and Africa global sales region for Nokia? Could you tell us some similarities and differences between Nokias customers in these markets? Mr. Shivakumar: If we look at India and Africa, they are similar on a lot of dimensions. India has a population of about 1.2 billion and Africa has a population of roughly 1 billion. The demography of the population is also similar, both are very young populations. The average age in India is 26-27 and Africa has an average age of about 23. When we look at passions of the consumers, Indian consumers are passionate about cricket and music; African consumers are passionate about football and music. If you look at movies, Hollywood produces about 900 movies a year, India produces about 1000 and Nollywood (which is Nigeria) produces about 2000. If we look at the role of mobile phones, in India, mobile phones are the most widely distributed and penetrated product among all the durables. The same is going to be true for Africa as well. The business model of telecom is homogenous in both these geographies. About 97% of the marketing in Telecom in India is pre-paid and 93% in Africa is pre-paid. The differences will always be there across geographies. There will be differences in terms of culture, nuances of the consumers and how the different services reach out to them. But for India and Africa, the commonalities are a lot and that is why Nokia has formed a Global Sales Region combining them. Markathon: Going ahead, how is Nokia planning to regain lost ground in the smartphone segment? What do you think will be the next big wave in this segment and how does Nokia plan to capitalise on it? Mr. Shivakumar: If we look at the global market, the world population is 7 billion out of which 5 billion people already own phones. It is estimated that about 1 billion of them own smartphones and the remaining own feature phones. Nokia started the smartphone revolution in 2005 with the N-series and over a period

markathon | december 2011 of time, a lot of things have converged in making the smartphone what it is today. I personally think Nokia with its innovation capabilities and with the newly released Windows Operation system out for mobile phones is poised well to regain its strength in the smart phones market. Markathon: What were the reasons for Nokias success in reaching out to the rural consumers in India? Mr. Shivakumar: The first was the fact that Nokia identified the market before everyone else did. Second, we also set up an infrastructure to reach out and service the rural consumer before anyone else in the market. Third, we worked with the eco-system to ensure that we could get there, like the telecom operators. We also put care of service ahead of sales, because in rural India when people are buying products, they want to be absolutely sure that there is someone there to manage or repair it for them. In terms of the brand, we spent a lot of time on awareness and visibility. For example, one of the early campaigns we ran was about security, which is a very important characteristic both in urban and rural India. I think these factors came together and helped us succeed in the rural markets. Markathon: What is Nokias strategy in dealing with low cost phone makers, the likes of Karbonn, Micromax and Spice? Mr. Shivakumar: I think I mentioned earlier about the importance of aspirational brands for the Indian consumer. I would say that it is brand and innovation which matter and not just the price. A lot of people are mistaking, what I can call amateur innovation for innovation, including the media. One mosquito repellent or a Bluetooth remote application is not innovation. Amateur innovation does not work; you need to give the consumer the right value and the genuine innovation. The history of the mobile phone markets shows that leaders consolidate and thats where Id leave my argument. Markathon: Given your experience in the FMCG industry, what do you feel are the key differences for a

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Vartalaap

markathon | december 2011

marketer between Electronics industry?

the

FMCG

and

Consumer

Mr. Shivakumar: FMCG depends on wide distribution. India has about 10 million retail outlets for FMCG, most categories would have about 6-8 million retail outlets. However, the branding and the value of the brand is the same in both cases.

very competitive and not collaborative and they are very bookish. My advice would be to never look at life in relative terms. Never think that you are better/worse than someone. You should always aim for the absolute best. You should never worry about relative.

Second thing that I would say is that learn after you leave the institute. Most people stop learning after they leave college and they forget that today the world is If you look at innovation, in FMCG sector you have 6 changing at a much faster pace. What you learn in the innovations every 100 years; which means that the life institute might carry you at best for 6-18 months. Read of the next innovation is about 15-20 years. a lot and learn. When you look at your career and Innovation in the technology sector is almost every job, the first two years is about learning. Its month. In the technology sector, you have 3 unlikely that you will contribute anything. The types of disruptions- price disruption, trade time for contribution will come, but at a disruption and technology disruption. In later date. You cant join a company on the FMCG sector, none of these are Day 1 and think that you will start there to the same level and degree. contributing from Day 2. Next, You introduce successful brands, whatever you do, build the If we look at the global market, the you do a lot of variances in institution you work for. If world population is 7 billion out of the FMCG sector. In the you work for a which 5 billion people already own technology business, company, you phones. It is estimated that about 1 specifically should always be billion of them own smartphones and mobile proud of the the remaining own feature phones. phones, the company and Nokia started the smartphone life of a model build the revolution in 2005 with the N-series is about 18-24 company. Secondly, and over a period of time, a lot of months, thats all. In always work for the things have converged in making the that sense also, it is betterment of your team. smartphone what it is today dramatically different. Lastly, work for your own betterment. Quite often, young The value in FMCG is created people get that order wrong. They work through the emotional surplus through for the betterment of themselves first, advertising, the value here is through team later and the company last. what the technology and the product make the consumer feel. This is much more about a personality statement. Markathon: What is your advice for graduates in Bschools looking to make a career in sales and marketing? Mr. Shivakumar: When I talk to various people who come to recruit from B Schools, one of the common refrains people have is that the current generation is I would also say that your generation is a global generation. You can work anywhere in the world. My generation was an India focussed generation. Hence, you have to be multi culturally sensitive as opposed to multi linguistically sensitive in a country like India. You can be anywhere in the globe, and hence you are not just a manager or leader; you are also an ambassador for India.

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Cover story|Business or not- Education needs Marketing

markathon | december 2011

Education An Evolving Landscape

Swati| Rushika | Aditya

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Cover story|Business or not- Education needs Marketing

markathon | december 2011

When the cheapest tablet Aakash was launched in India for rural students, many people had misgivings about rural people using such an advanced device. These people might have forgotten about the famous

the state of education, including a 24% hike in the budget allocation last session, one still doubts whether the benefits are being reaped. Education forming the backbone of any economy, it plays an important role for a developing country like ours. As our Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee rightly said during the last budget session, "Our demographic dividend, a relatively younger population compared to developed countries, is as much of an opportunity as it is a challenge. Education is the key to cash in on this opportunity. Today, institutes are coming up and closing down daily, competition has increased followed by the pressure to perform, increasing demand has led to increased supply in the form of new institutes and with more options, choice undoubtedly becomes even more difficult. With this cover story we plan to review this industry, how it has grown over the years; bringing in the need for marketing and where it can go from here on.

Hole in the Wall experiment by Mr. Sugata

Mitra, which was an awakening call for many. As a part of the experiment, Mr. Mitra placed a PC with highspeed Internet in a concrete wall next near a slum in Delhi. He simply left the computer on and observed passersby play with it. Within a few days, he was astonished to see kids aged 6 to 12 years, most of whom had only the most rudimentary education and little knowledge of English had taught themselves to draw on the computer and to browse the Internet. The experiment opened a can of questions; will it be worthwhile to provide computer education in rural India, what can the Indian government do to foster computer education in villages, can it help create more employment opportunities in villages and so on. If nothing, it at least proved the immense capability that kids have today. They are hungry for knowledge, if only someone is willing to provide. This brings us to the current state of education in India. Though the Indian government has continuously taken efforts to improve

Need for Marketing in Education

According to a theory by academicians Hargreaves and Goodson, education has evolved over three different

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Cover story|Business or not- Education needs Marketing

markathon | december 2011

eras. In the first era (up to late 1970s) it was based on optimism and innovation where education was driven by autonomy of teachers and schools and concentrated towards technological innovation. In the second era (1970s to mid-1990s) it was based on complexity and contradiction which introduced regulations in schools through evaluations and inspections. The third era introduced standardization and marketization (mid1990s to date) which is characterized by centralized curriculum and standardized assessment processes. This standardization brought in competition and as a result an increased need for marketing to create a differential positioning in the eyes of their prospective students. Education, for a student, is not merely a product which he is buying, but it is something which guides his future and his life. And that makes it even more important for him to evaluate the options before taking a final decision. The product, price and place no doubt make the core of the package which influences the decision but it is the promotional activities undertaken by the institutes which provide information about these core elements to the prospective students. Hence marketing has become an inseparable part of education like any other industry. A few people might argue or disapprove that education has become a business today. The topic remains controversial to say the least, but immaterial of

the verdict, marketing has undoubtedly become an indispensable part of this sector.

Indian Education Industry:

With a market of 450 million students and per annum revenue of US $50 billion, Education is one of the largest service sector industries in India. Moreover, with the growing population and the rise of knowledge driven sectors attracting massive employment opportunities, this sector is expected to grow at CAGR of 10-15 per cent over 2011-2012. The education industry in India can be broadly divided into schools, higher education (which together contribute to 80% of the revenue) and other non-core areas which include preschools, vocational training, coaching classes and others which contribute the remaining 20%. Needless to say, higher the revenue, greater the attraction for investors and hence higher is the need for marketing in these sectors.

Primary Education
With 70% of the Indian population living in rural areas and struggling to fight exploitation at the hands of landlords and industrialists, it becomes important for

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them to learn to read and write to be able to lead their lives. The Right to Education Act, 2009 by the Government of India was to ensure primary education for all to eradicate this exploitation and give everyone a chance to earn a place in the society. The changing mindset of the Indian population further drives the growth of primary education in India. People have moved from viewing education as a formality to a long term investment. But irrespective of the improving conditions, a major challenge to tackle is the high dropout rate at elementary levels. Also, though places like Tamil Nadu and Kerala are quite high on literacy rate accounted by the high number of quality institutes and the importance attached to education at these places, but places like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh still lag far behind in terms of both quality and quantity. People in rural regions still have to walk a few kilometers before they reach their schools. These socio economic and regional disparities have hindered the overall growth of education in India. It has brought in the need of marketing to advocate affordable education opportunities to lower segments of the society and most importantly to create awareness. Television has been used effectively in the past, to reach out to the remote locations and create awareness about education through well-known campaigns like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and School Chale Hum, which gave an overall boost to this sector. There are a lot of NGOs taking efforts to promote education, as it has the power to change the face of our country. The aim is to build an educated and skilled workforce out of the growing population, to reform India from a

developing to a developed nation. Times of Indias Teach India campaign was a small step towards this massive mission, by bridging the gap between those who need education and those who can educate. With more than 50,000 volunteers applying, it saw senior executives like Lalit Malik, Vice-President of American Express volunteering to teach. While TOI did not have any eligibility criteria except the motivation to contribute towards the cause, Teach for India (TFI) went a step further by recruiting outstanding graduate students and young professionals to serve as full time teachers for two years in under resourced schools. Started in 2006 and borrowed from the Teach for America concept, it has a vision to end educational inequity in India. It has rightly started from places like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai which look developed but still house a number of municipal and low income private schools which are unable to operate efficiently due to under staffing. The need for development and the vast opportunities that this sector provides, has led to corporatization of education with Educomp taking the lead by providing a one stop solution for all educational needs. With a mission to solve problems relating to "Quality of Education" and "Access to Education" for all, Educomp is providing solutions to teachers and students alike by working closely with schools, educators and government including HRD Ministry and Ministry of IT. With the rise of digital world, it has come up with many pioneering initiatives in the e-education space. The online learning portal Mathguru.com, Professional Development workshops for 1 19

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teachers, smartclass a teacher led content delivery system and many more have set the path. These products, powered with visual aids and comprehensive material, are available at affordable prices on a timebased validity and are accessible to all, leveraging on the growing reach of internet in Indian households. Primary education forms the base, where the tree will grow bigger only if the roots are stronger. A good primary education system can drive the growth of higher education system by providing more qualified students seeking better growth opportunities though education. This makes it all the more important for the overall growth of this sector.

There are new methods and procedures of financial regulations which are enabling better and direct interference of the finance department in the management of Universities. The introduction of 100 % FDI in the sector is also encouraging a lot of foreign universities to open centres in India. Over the past two decades or so there are new career options for students to pursue. Also, throughout there is emphasis on other facets of development apart from academics alone such as ethics, sustainability, physical fitness etc. Due to the various career options available today, institutes have to market themselves so as to highlight their core ideologies and attract the right students. Marketing campaigns have become important for higher educational institutes in order to achieve their commercial goals. They are engaging in both traditional as well as internet and digital marketing campaigns. Considering the rising involvement of youth in social media, there has been a rise in the use of electronic and digital media for marketing. Hence it is not surprising to see an educational institution have a website

Higher Education
The higher education sector in India has seen remarkable growth especially in the post-independence period and is on its way to becoming one of the largest system of its kind in the world. There is an increase in the establishment of public private partnerships, which will play an important role in the future. This has especially been the case with colleges providing higher education in order to generate and disseminate knowledge coupled with the noble intention of providing easy access to education to the common Indian. The sector has many issues at present, like financing and management including access, return on investment, re-orientation of programmes by laying emphasis on health consciousness, values and ethics and quality of higher education together with the assessment of institutions and their accreditation.

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engineered to sit at the top of the search engines in order to attract students and increase sales. Email marketing has become the new mantra in the education sector. At present only 22 percent of educational institutes are using email and about 37 percent claim that they plan to use online marketing and promotional activities in the future. Considering that students, who are highly active on social media, are the main target of higher educational institutes, social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn are used as effective tools to create a buzz and engage with students. Another tool is blogging to create awareness and increase word of mouth publicity. Blogs are mainly maintained by the students of the institute. It helps get an insight into campus life and various campus activities. Top institutes, including IIMs have adopted blogging for getting more visibility. Blogs are highly influential and are used to boost website popularity and reaching top grade candidates. Public relations play an important role in this segment. Irrespective of the rankings, in the end most of the decisions are driven by public perception of the institute. Thus, public relations have become an indispensable part of the marketing strategies by institutes. Forums like PagalGuy, which acts as a platform for students to interact with other MBA aspirants and take the right decision in selecting a Bschool, might not give institutes any competitive advantage over others but have created a necessity to be listed in the elite group. Considering the increasing number of students turning to such platforms, institutes can definitely benefit by creating a positive image here. Other ways of effectively leveraging public relations is through sharing internal news, happenings and achievements with public via news clips and online

forums, building associations with corporates and foreign institutes etc.

Coaching Classes and Training Institutes

Given the limited number of opportunities and our population, education has become a rat race. Coaching institutes have seized the opportunity and made a killing. According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the size of the Coaching institute industry for IITs and Engineering colleges alone is Rs 10,000 crore, which is more than sufficient to fund more than 30-40 IITs every year. About 6 lakh students are estimated to be attending these institutes. Coaching institutes provide a range of courses that can be broadly divided into three categories 1) Coaching for competitive exams 2) Tuitions to complement the curriculum that is being taught in Schools and colleges 3) Certified courses in select domains such as Graphic designing, C++ , Java etc One of the biggest factors that have contributed significantly to the success of institutes such as TIME, IMS, NIIT and FIITJEE is their extensive reach. Coaching institutes today are aggressively expanding to Tier 2 and

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Tier 3 cities as well, thereby rapidly increasing their reach. In a country where 42% of its people are estimated to be below the poverty line, the fee charged by these institutes has become a bone of contention, especially for the economically constrained population. The fee ranges anywhere between INR 10,000 to INR 1,50,000 depending upon the nature of the course and the reputation of the Institute. In spite of the soaring prices, students are still struggling to get into them to survive this competitive scenario. However, there are also institutes such as the Super 30 which provide coaching to the meritorious yet economically challenged students. The Coaching industry is riddled with cut throat competition as well and promotion plays a very critical role. While there are the premier institutes such as the Super 30 and Bansal classes at Kota that have already established their brands and barely need any promotion, there are a lot of other upcoming institutes

that resort to various means of promotion. Institutes today utilize online media, print media and various other PR activities such as Achievers talks and free counselling sessions in order to promote their institute. The lack of quality lab equipment at graduation and under graduation levels is a gap that coaching institutes can capitalize on. Today there are hordes of engineering colleges popping up around every nook and corner, many of which lack quality laboratory equipment. Coaching Institutes can help train students from a laboratory examination perspective. Coaching institutes can also consider expanding into some of our neighbouring countries in the subcontinent that have a similar education system. The destruction of individuality at these institutes has often been alleged. Today there are a few worrying trends such as students enrolling into IIT coaching classes as early as 6th Std, which is actually 6 years before the actual exam. There have also been reports of

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coaching institutes that train children as young as 10 years to get into premier primary schools and high schools. Such practices further add to the stress on children. It wont be long before there are coaching institutes that train children between 6th- 9th Std in order to help them to get into other premier coaching institutes during their 10th-12th Std. The pros and cons of coaching institutes have often been debated. There are certain issues that need to be sorted out and the government is considering the regulation of the education sector and the coaching industry as well. However one cannot deny the critical role that coaching institutes play today and it definitely is a sector that would be interesting to watch over the future.

Conclusion:

In todays competitive world, marketing is essential for this industry. It helps position the institute in the minds of the people. On one hand we have institutes like the IITs, IIMs and the top 30 which resort to bare minimum marketing, but use Public Relations effectively to build their brand value. On the other hand, there are many universities down South as well in the Northern states that do extensive advertising through print and television. With more and more students and their parents becoming conscious of the overcrowding in this sector and taking preventive measures not to fall prey to any false claims, marketing of educational institutes might not pay off during the initial years, but will definitely help in building the brand over a period of time. This in turn will determine the quality of the student pool, faculty and the amount of fee that the institutes can demand further down the line. Marketing, if used effectively, can help create a win-win situation for all- the institute, students and the country.

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war zone | eye 2 eye

markathon | december 2011 markathon | august

DoES Government intervention and equity infusion save the Indian Aviation industry players who are reeling under huge LOSSES?
India is a very large market albeit a low fare one. Indias location might translate into the country becoming a transit hub for major airlines. The aviation industry has become a critical element of the countrys infrastructure and has Angika Sagar significant impact on the IIM S development of trade and has significant impact on the development of trade and tourism in India. The industry has been trying hard to avoid the losses currently plaguing most of the players. As per the calculations, the Cost-to-revenues ratio per seat mile is very high (>13). There are lot of factors which have come together and impacted the airline industry. One of them is the valuation of the rupee which has fallen substantially against the dollar over the past year. Most of the airline companies costs are in dollars and therefore their bottom lines have taken a hit because of the rupees fall. Fuel is another cost which has proven to be unmanageable for the airlines. Fuel costs have risen to almost 30% of total cost for airlines in India compared to around 10-15% for airlines in other parts of the world. The rise of fuel costs is a major worry for the airlines in India and hedging of fuel costs has at best been minimal and provided negligible savings. The airlines have also suffered because of the price war. This has proved to be beneficial to the travellers but all airlines have made almost nothing out of the huge growth in domestic travel because of the low fares. The price war needs to be checked like it happened with telecom. We see that most of the factors are such that the Airlines need to redefine their business models and focus on effective cost cutting to achieve profits. When Indigo can manage to make profits without any extra help, the others should realise that they can make profits too. Government intervention can at best be only a temporary measure to infuse liquidity, but it will not guarantee the industrys revival. The greatest paradox faced by Indian Aviation Sector is that it is serving one of the worlds fastest growing economies yet it is estimated that the sector will face losses close to USD 2.5 billion Deepika Sinha in the coming financial year. IIM S The revenues have stooped down to USD 10 billion which is even worse compared to financial year 2008/09 where there was a huge decline in traffic coupled with massive spike in fuel prices at USD 150/barrel. This alarming situation has prompted intervention by the government resulting in a 12 point agenda that the Ministry of Civil Aviation needs to act upon. But the question here is Will these be enough to save the sinking ship of our aviation sector?? The main factors resulting in higher costs of airline industry fuel, aircraft leases and maintenance are not going to be solved with the continuous decrease in Indias growth rate and a weak government plagued by corruption and scandals. Ajit Singh sworn in as a dedicated minister is a certainly a positive development, but a change of leadership at this critical time means uncertainty will persist, especially in the absence of a clear strategic framework for the sector. Air India has always been monopolising governments attention and creating problems for the private carriers by discounting fares that they are forced to match. If strong reforms are not implemented to curb this, there is no way the situation can improve by pumping more tax payers money into problem-ridden aviation sector. Also unless the government stops micro managing issues and focuses on creating an environment to recognise and support industry viability and competitiveness the health of the sector will not improve. It will require important decisions in 2012 by government and operators alike to position Indian aviation as a safe, efficient and viable sector.

Effectively tax payers money is being wasted on destabilizing private sector airlines

Fuel costs have risen to almost 30% of total cost for airlines in India

Topic for the next Issues Eye to Eye: Will 2012 see online retail give real competition to the next door retailer? Your opinion (view/counterview) is invited. Word limit is 250-300. Last date of sending entries is 10th January 2012. Include your picture (JPEG format) with the entry. 24 30

war zone | silent voice

markathon |june markathon |december 2011

Silent Voice
Theme: Horlicks Oats- Three Way Health Advantage

LAST MONTHS RESULTS

WINNER: Arun Leo | XIME

Congratulations!!! Arun receives a cash prize of Rs 500!

HONORARY MENTION

Subhashree| IBS, Hyderabad

NEXT THEME FOR SILENT VOICE: Rebranding of Nestle Milk as Nestle A+ LAST DATE OF SENDING THE PRINT AD: 10th January, 2012 EMAIL ID: markathon.iims@gmail.com Send your entry in JPEG format named as SilentVoice_<Your Name>_<Institute>only.

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Brand Story: Hero honda

Sana akhtar | IIM S
Started in 1943 by the Munjal brothers- Dayanand, Satyanand, Brij and Om as a bicycle component trading business, the making of Hero Honda is an amazing story in itself. Owing to the inevitable partition of India, the brothers decided to shift base from Lahore to Amritsar and then to Ludhiana. Indias industrial machinery at that time was devastated by the demands made on it by World War II. So, the administration invited entrepreneurs to build new avenues which would create wealth for the country. The Munjals took the opportunity to take their business to newer heights and thus Hero Cycles was born. By 1975, Hero Cycles became the largest manufacturer of bicycles in India. The Munjals then approached French two-wheeler giant Peugot for a tie-up to manufacture mopeds but things didnt work out as planned and Hero went on to make its own mopeds and it was called Majestic Auto. They then expanded and diversified and went into textile mills and financial services. A major milestone in the success of the Hero Group was the decision to join hands with the Japanese automobile giant, Honda giving birth to Hero Honda. Hero Honda set up its assembly line in Haryana and with the rolling of its first 100 cc motorcycle named Unicorn in 1985, it started its journey to unimaginable success. Hero Honda came up with a slick and unforgettable slogan for its launch- Fill it, shut it, forget it. Targeted at the youth, Unicorn looked sportier than all the existing motorcycles in the premium segment and was promoted with the caption "Be a wing rider." Within a couple of years after the launch of its successful products including Activa, Dio and Eterno, Hero Honda had emerged as the largest scooter company in India. Hero Honda decided that their marketing strategy would emphasize on offering innovative products at competitive prices, novel promotional campaigns and developing an extensive distribution network. In December, 2010 the Munjal family and Honda Moto Corp decided to part ways and terminate the 26-yearold relationship due to unresolved differences and ambitious independent plans. Hero Motors hired global brand and innovation specialist Wolff Olins to create its new brand identity post the split. The name, Hero MotoCorp was thoughtfully kept such that Hero signals continuity and MotoCorp indicates mobility, modernity and technology. The logo continues to have the colour red, a colour that has been associated with the Indian twowheeler giant for ages. The new campaign- Hum mein hai hero was released on August 15, Independence Day across 30 television channels and leading newspapers. The 120 second film directed by Anurag Kashyap has stories of individuals in India who conquer what seem to be impossibilities, to unearth the hero within themselves. The anthem composed by A R Rehman adds stature to the film. The campaign soon became a big hit and was put on 200 radio stations and 4,000 cinema halls in Tier 2 & 3 cities, and signages were changed in all the 4,500 consumer contact points like dealerships and service centres. The outcome of the split on Hero Moto Corp still remains to be seen. Only time will tell whether they are able to tap the opportunities worldwide and maintain their position in India as well as the overseas markets.

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specials | bookmark

markathon | dec 2011

googly Branding Sridhar

The Icfai University Press | Price Rs.600

on

Indian

Turf:

Ramanujam

Review by sria majumdar

advertising; advertising where talent crunch, scams and ideas are discussed; and branding which talks of brand properties and leaders as brands. The fourth section is on case studies, where brands like Tanishq, Jet Airways, Canara Bank, TTK Prestige are presented. This is followed by a section on strategy, which aims to link communication, creativity and advertising to the broader goals of the firm. The book concludes with a section on PR, and the author talks about using crisis as an opportunity to generate goodwill from the consumers, using the Satyam case as an example.

Ramanujam Sridhar, known as the Third Umpire in the marketing circles in India, writes for columns in Business Line and Deccan Herald and also maintains his own blog. His second book on branding, Googly, is a sequel to the hugely popular One Land, One Billion Minds and brings forth more than 20 years of experience in the advertising and marketing industry in India. The best part about the book is, unlike others in its genre, it is friendly, charming and disarmingly informal- as the preface of the book clearly boasts. Googly- the name given to the idiosyncratic behaviour of Indian consumers-is a classic delivery of a leg spinner, one which needs an experienced professional to handle. Read on to learn how Mr Sridhar teaches the Indian marketer to play the Googly.

Verdict: 4.5/5
The book is difficult to put down, and once you pick it up, you will learn more about advertising and branding than any other 200 pages can teach. Ramanujam Sridhar knows now to engage the reader, and the book is filled with insights he has gained with his years of experience in the industry. If you are interested in reading, and are looking for a book which will give you a glimpse of the practical world of advertising and branding- your search ends with Googly.

Summary
The book draws parallels between the world of branding and advertising, while putting forward interesting insights on what makes a brand a success or a failure. From the clutter in advertising to the software industrys future- the author discusses contemporary issues in the world of marketing. The book is written in a lucid and crisp style, yet conversational and simple all the way. Indian brands, and how they relate to Indian consumers and what makes the diverse Indian market tick- Googly unravels all this and more. Each piece in the book reads like a short article, and each one provides a valuable lesson to the discerning reader.

Bottom-line
The book is a must read, not only for newcomers but also for old timers in the industry. As Bhaskar Bhat, MD of Titan Industries puts it, It is appropriate and indeed timely that Sridhar has brought out an immensely readable book on branding which is experiential, anecdotal, but at the same time, factual. He has used his inimitable style of mixing consumer insight with his extraordinary love for cricket. At the end of each article, he leaves you with not just more information, but with better understanding. Need I say more?

Organization
The book is divided into 6 distinct sections- the consumers where the author talks of the difficult consumers and the lack of consumer insights in

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specials | updates

markathon | december 2011 markathon | june According to CoolBrandss annual UK ranking, British car manufacturer came out as the coolest brand of 2011. The list comes with a vote by a combination of 2000 consumers and a panel of 36 designers, style experts, media personalities and prominent figures from the world of TV, music and fashion. The panel score each brand, bearing in mind factors such as style, innovation, originality, authenticity, desirability and uniqueness.

AD WATCH
The new ad for Fortune cooking oil, by Ogilvy and Mather India
Instead of relating to its functional and health benefits, Fortune has tried to strike the emotional string attached to tasty food. Advertisement shows a mother lovingly packing a meal and delivering it to her son. The ad very elegantly captures a mothers love and also appeals to the home cooked food mantra.

Ogilvy Asia Pacific sweeps Agency of the Year awards 2011

Ogilvy Asia Pacific scooped the top prize Regional Network of the Year, which is awarded based on the accumulation of scores from all the awards, at the Campaign Asia Pacific Agency of the Year 2011, on December 13, 2011. In addition, Ogilvy took home Creative Agency Network of the Year, which is a testament to the region continually producing great work that works.

Finnish handset major Nokia unleashes its biggest marketing campaign to announce Windows smartphone
To keep itself relevant in a market being swarmed by Google Android phones such as Samsung Galaxy range, Nokia has launched Windows-based smartphone Lumia. Analysts call it a desperate attempt to reclaim ground in the smartphone market. Its a game changer by redefining what Nokia means to consumers according to Nokia India Marketing Director Viral Oza.

Anirudh Dhoot bags Corporate Leader of the year 2011 at Power Brands 2011
Anirudh Dhoot, Director, Videocon is the Power Brands Hall of fame Corporate Leader of the year 2011.The grand award ceremony was held on 12 December 2011 in London. The award was given by Subrata Roy Chairman of Sahara group and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri for Mr. Dhoot's contribution in the consumer durable industry

Brand Launch
Yahoo! India launches Yahoo! Video
The platform is a video destination that offers original content across genres such as news, entertainment, lifestyle and movies. Yahoo! Video is available free for all internet users in India and has currently partnered with 35 leading content producers including NDTV, Star TV, Shemaroo, Headlines Today, PVR Pictures and Ultra

Honda City's new version launched

Japanese car maker Honda last week launched a new entry-level variant of its flagship sedan City in India, slashing the price by Rs 50,000 compared to that of the existing model. Now the new City comes in the price range from Rs 6.99 lakh to Rs 10.22 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Fortune India releases Fortune 500 India issue

Fortune India magazine has released the Fortune 500 India list for 2011 with its December issue. It comes as no surprise that the list is dominated by the oil and gas sector, led by Indian Oil Corporation, Reliance Industries, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation. The gainers are automobile firms and their ancillary suppliers.

Brand Watch
Aston Martin replaces Apple as the coolest brand of 2011

Renault bets on diesel models to beat competition

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specials | updates With diesel variants now accounting for over a fourth of India's passenger car sales, French major Renault has decided to roll out this fuel's versions in three of its new launches next year with more locally-sourced parts to cut costs.

markathon | december 2011 markathon | june on 19 December 2011. He will be operating out of the agency's office in Gurgaon and will also be responsible for the digital offering. Prior to joining LMG, he headed strategy across Vivaki Media Brands.

Law and Kenneth bags Lazzava Contract

Lavazza has appointed Law & Kenneth communications as its strategic and creative solutions agency in India. The agency will handle the entire portfolio of Lavazza business, from coffee shops to vending services and other traditional businesses.

Britannia eyes better margins in 2011-12, lines up new products

Biscuits Major Britannia is aiming for higher profitability during the current fiscal as the market remains robust and cost pressures are likely to ease. Furthermore, Britannia is ready with more breakfast products for expanding its national footprint

Channel [V] maintains its leadership in the youth entertainment genre

The youth entertainment channel from the Star Network, has maintained its leadership in the youth entertainment genre for six consecutive weeks. With an all-time high of 37 GRPs (Gross Rating Points) for week 50, Channel [v] has left its nearest competitors far behind.

MEDIA
Lintas Media Group appoints Raghav Subramanian as COO
Lintas Media Group has appointed Raghav Subramanian as chief operating officer. Subramanian joins the agency

Articles Are invited

Best Article: PRANAY SINGH | FMS He receives a cash prize of Rs. 1000 & a letter of appreciation. We are inviting articles from all the B-schools of India. The articles can be specific to the regular sections of Markathon which includes: Perspective: Articles related to development of latest trends in marketing arena. Productolysis: Analysis of a product from the point of view of marketing. Strategic Analysis: A complete analysis of the marketing strategy of any company or an event. Apart from above, out of the box views related to marketing are also welcome. The best entry will receive a letter of appreciation and a cash prize of Rs 1000/-. The format of the file should be MS Word doc/docx. Were inviting photographs of interesting promotional events/advertisements/hoardings/banners etc. you might have come across in your daily life for our new section The 4th P. Send your self-clicked photographs in JPEG format only. The last date of receiving all entries is 10th January 2012. Please send your entries marked as <ARTICLE NAME>_<SENDERS NAMES>_<INSTITUTE> to markathon.iims@gmail.com.

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Please send in your comments/feedback to: markathon.iims@gmail.com Visit: www.iims-markathon.in

Team Markathon, IIM Shillong