Whoo!!!
This is not a term which I have coined,, I actually read this concept and really liked the concept.
The recently economic turmoil has been the mother of a loads of startups and scale-ups too.. The term "Bootstrap Marketing" is actually the marketing which new companies should target at. These "new" companies have big dreams but .. are struggling with capitals.. thus comes in a marketing strategy which will take care of all marketing needs from this segment.
Long way to go!! for BootStrap Professionals.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Top-Bottom Service Management
Industries like Electronics have relied a lot on after-sales service as a good revenue and brand positioning exercise. The question is : Have companies been able to do this (after-sales service) successfully???
When products try to become brands, the one thing they try to provide as a brand image is " Great After sales Service" . In attempt to do so, companies try to set up service centres across the length and breadth of their covered areas. But Do these service centres really do the intended purpose. If we log in the consumercomplaints.in (http://www.consumercomplaints.in), there isnt a single brand which has been able to deliver as expected.
When we try to do a brain storming exercise on why this has happened, one of the possible outcome is : The quality of service provided by the service centres
The service centre is a privately held agency which is taken by an individual from the company. The purpose behind setting up a service centre is good but when you give ur brand in private hands, then its upto them to make it or break it,, and there have been really less cases where these third parties have been able to make it.
Brand Managers need to take a step forward and should gel along with these service providers. Its just like a Balanced Score Card.. U just cant ignore this segment as this is where your bottom of pyramid is actually hit,, and surveys have shown that after-sales services is one the most important reason for Second Purchases.. and in todays economy, second purchase is very crucial for industries escpecially Electronics and Auto..
Hence, Brand Managers should ensure that the service providers help in potraying the right kind of image of their brand to the common masses.
Happy Branding!!!
When products try to become brands, the one thing they try to provide as a brand image is " Great After sales Service" . In attempt to do so, companies try to set up service centres across the length and breadth of their covered areas. But Do these service centres really do the intended purpose. If we log in the consumercomplaints.in (http://www.consumercomplaints.in), there isnt a single brand which has been able to deliver as expected.
When we try to do a brain storming exercise on why this has happened, one of the possible outcome is : The quality of service provided by the service centres
The service centre is a privately held agency which is taken by an individual from the company. The purpose behind setting up a service centre is good but when you give ur brand in private hands, then its upto them to make it or break it,, and there have been really less cases where these third parties have been able to make it.
Brand Managers need to take a step forward and should gel along with these service providers. Its just like a Balanced Score Card.. U just cant ignore this segment as this is where your bottom of pyramid is actually hit,, and surveys have shown that after-sales services is one the most important reason for Second Purchases.. and in todays economy, second purchase is very crucial for industries escpecially Electronics and Auto..
Hence, Brand Managers should ensure that the service providers help in potraying the right kind of image of their brand to the common masses.
Happy Branding!!!
Discount Marketing
Festive season brings with itself a whole new dimension of marketing strategies. The consumer psychology just looks for the word " Discount" in the deal that they are going to make.
Companies are trying to bring out various possible discounts to attract more and more customers. Thus Discount Marketing has to be a complete new dimension when we devise strategies, whether for sales team, target settings, service marketing or complete rollout plans.
Discount Marketing is crucial as you have to offer a good discount that looks attractive to consumer and also the consumer does not loose their Quality Quotient from your product. Hence, DM (Discount Marketing) strategies have to be a perfect blend of Cost and Trust.
Like in India, Brands like Koutons, Cotton County and few others have established themselves as Discount Brands. In case there is no discount on these brands, the sale might get affected badly. Thus companies have to be cautious while making a decision when they are entering the DM domain.
More on Service Marketing Strategies soon,,,,
Companies are trying to bring out various possible discounts to attract more and more customers. Thus Discount Marketing has to be a complete new dimension when we devise strategies, whether for sales team, target settings, service marketing or complete rollout plans.
Discount Marketing is crucial as you have to offer a good discount that looks attractive to consumer and also the consumer does not loose their Quality Quotient from your product. Hence, DM (Discount Marketing) strategies have to be a perfect blend of Cost and Trust.
Like in India, Brands like Koutons, Cotton County and few others have established themselves as Discount Brands. In case there is no discount on these brands, the sale might get affected badly. Thus companies have to be cautious while making a decision when they are entering the DM domain.
More on Service Marketing Strategies soon,,,,
Friday, August 28, 2009
DOT Marketing
DOT marketing:
Marketeers are real smart lot of people. They will try out ways as how you would improve upon their brand recall. Here's something that gave this word: DOT marketing
" On the Sandwich pack, offered by Indigo airlines, there is a column which mentions "Brain Exercise" There are three questions asked
1. Name all 28 states of India and their capitals?
2. Perform 2456645 X 299875345 (without calculator)?
3. Count the number of DOTS in Indigo Logo
Seeing all these questions, the best you would pick would be the Q3. And just in taking you to Q3, the designers of this branding exercise have been successful. Now you will dig in your eyes into the logo and count and recount that there are 20 DOTS in the logo of Indigo airlines.
But making you count those DOTs provided them the opportunity to leave a mental mark about Indigo : see DOT Marketing
Win-Win Situation: You are happy that you did brain exercise by answering Q3 independently, and the Indigo has been successful in leaving a mental map. Now recall of the brand would be higher!!!!
Isnt it Cool!!!
Marketeers are real smart lot of people. They will try out ways as how you would improve upon their brand recall. Here's something that gave this word: DOT marketing
" On the Sandwich pack, offered by Indigo airlines, there is a column which mentions "Brain Exercise" There are three questions asked
1. Name all 28 states of India and their capitals?
2. Perform 2456645 X 299875345 (without calculator)?
3. Count the number of DOTS in Indigo Logo
Seeing all these questions, the best you would pick would be the Q3. And just in taking you to Q3, the designers of this branding exercise have been successful. Now you will dig in your eyes into the logo and count and recount that there are 20 DOTS in the logo of Indigo airlines.
But making you count those DOTs provided them the opportunity to leave a mental mark about Indigo : see DOT Marketing
Win-Win Situation: You are happy that you did brain exercise by answering Q3 independently, and the Indigo has been successful in leaving a mental map. Now recall of the brand would be higher!!!!
Isnt it Cool!!!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Education Sector to step up its IT spend
(ecom)Dotcoms, Financial, Ticketing, Manufacturing, BPO, Healthcare and now EDUCATION
The IT companies have new avenue coming up their way now. Even the report attached supports the fact that edu sector is now opening up.
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indias_education_sector_to_step_up_its_IT_spending_-nid-60477.html
Long way to go!!!
The IT companies have new avenue coming up their way now. Even the report attached supports the fact that edu sector is now opening up.
http://www.siliconindia.com/
Long way to go!!!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Is education Service or an Industry ?
Government has always laid emphasis on providing education to all the citizens of India. Every budget we get a chunk allocated to Educational reforms in India.
For the past 3 years, every city across the country has seen mushrooming of Educational institutes. It looks, in 5 years from now everybody in India would either be a B.E / B.Tech / MBA / M.Tech / M.Pharma / M.Ed /../../../../.../M.Pt/ the list is endless.
I am not sure what is going to happen to Division of Labor/power. May be in 5-7 years from now.. PhD would become a common norm across Indian professionals as everybody would have a masters attached to their credential list.
As per 2008 estimates, the GDP of India had 17.2% contribution from the agricultural sector and 53% from services sector. But, what is happening in reality is that huge land masses from the agricultural sector are being taken and converted to Educational Institutions which will provide huge Degree banks for India.. But, what would we require more,, land banks for agriculture or Degree banks ( Unsatisfied lot)
How many private labels hold the stature of Govt Institutions. Just few names , HBTI, Pilani (Bits), JBIMS, ISB, Great Lakes... but these are just a few.. Rest the big names are IIM, IIT, NIT...
So why is it that Education cannot be taken under Govt control (partially , if not fully). One way could be PPP.. The goal of education has to provide right set of values and learnings to an individual and not only degrees.
Keep Thinking !!!!
For some more interesting stuff : read http://www.knowledgecommission.gov.in/downloads/news/news54.pdf
For the past 3 years, every city across the country has seen mushrooming of Educational institutes. It looks, in 5 years from now everybody in India would either be a B.E / B.Tech / MBA / M.Tech / M.Pharma / M.Ed /../../../../.../M.Pt/ the list is endless.
I am not sure what is going to happen to Division of Labor/power. May be in 5-7 years from now.. PhD would become a common norm across Indian professionals as everybody would have a masters attached to their credential list.
As per 2008 estimates, the GDP of India had 17.2% contribution from the agricultural sector and 53% from services sector. But, what is happening in reality is that huge land masses from the agricultural sector are being taken and converted to Educational Institutions which will provide huge Degree banks for India.. But, what would we require more,, land banks for agriculture or Degree banks ( Unsatisfied lot)
How many private labels hold the stature of Govt Institutions. Just few names , HBTI, Pilani (Bits), JBIMS, ISB, Great Lakes... but these are just a few.. Rest the big names are IIM, IIT, NIT...
So why is it that Education cannot be taken under Govt control (partially , if not fully). One way could be PPP.. The goal of education has to provide right set of values and learnings to an individual and not only degrees.
Keep Thinking !!!!
For some more interesting stuff : read http://www.knowledgecommission.gov.in/downloads/news/news54.pdf
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Read the offer document carefully
A very recent case that SEBI had on Reliance Infrastructure fund advertisement mentioned " The advertisement does not read the warning message to the investors properly in the last 5 sec leg of the advertisement"
At first go, this might look funny but if you watch the recent adv. you will feel the difference. The stress that this order from SEBI has brought to the commercial is substancial.
Clearly a good step towards customer awareness.
Good work SEBI
Now, Investors.. Please read the offer document carefully before investing...
Have a great day!!!
At first go, this might look funny but if you watch the recent adv. you will feel the difference. The stress that this order from SEBI has brought to the commercial is substancial.
Clearly a good step towards customer awareness.
Good work SEBI
Now, Investors.. Please read the offer document carefully before investing...
Have a great day!!!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Are we an Experience Economy?
Have we (India) really progressed to become a "Experienced" economy... This was the first thing that striked me when in lecture of my dear professor who introduced me to this term. I have become a fan of Prof. Xavier once he in his simple Estyle explained the concepts of Economy trajectory,,,
Learning the trajectory of economy, the thing that kept me thinking was,, where are we heading,,
Have we left the agrarian economy status and moved on,,, my personal belief is "we are LOST". We ourselves are not sure where we are,, may be this is the outcome of development and progress,, that we lose our positioning..
Years when I was growing up as a Kid,, I could see huge stretches of Green fields,, which I dont find easily now,, after every certain patch of land there is a beautiful house,,(dream of someone).. But, are we all running to turn our beautiful dreams to reality,, We all talk a lot about environment but do we do something about it,,
Talking of the Economy Trajectory, my experience suggests that we(Indians) live in all four stages at the moment,, the agrarian, industrial, service and experience...
clear state of being LOST,,
Can we call ourselves as a Agrarian economy, actually we dont want to position ourselves like that,, Then are we an industrial economy,, no we are not, as our lovely neighbour in the north-east would never let us become that, are we a service economy, only a handful percentage of our population is involved in this arena,, but our customers always have been complaining of our quality issues,, so cant say whether we are a service economy, numbers (qualitative and quantitatively dont suggest so), then are we an experinced economy, logically we cannot be, as that is the stage which one achieved after service economy stage, but this is the stage which all Indians love to be in, We all want to Experience EVERYTHING,, (we might not be willing to pay the price)..
A slight confusing, but where are we heading...
Given permissions from the business gurus, I would like to coin a term for ourselved : "Amalgamated Economy".. A state where we have everything and Nothing (in true sense).
The solution to this Amalgamated Economy state is :Education for the masses.
...............More on this ....soon....
Learning the trajectory of economy, the thing that kept me thinking was,, where are we heading,,
Have we left the agrarian economy status and moved on,,, my personal belief is "we are LOST". We ourselves are not sure where we are,, may be this is the outcome of development and progress,, that we lose our positioning..
Years when I was growing up as a Kid,, I could see huge stretches of Green fields,, which I dont find easily now,, after every certain patch of land there is a beautiful house,,(dream of someone).. But, are we all running to turn our beautiful dreams to reality,, We all talk a lot about environment but do we do something about it,,
Talking of the Economy Trajectory, my experience suggests that we(Indians) live in all four stages at the moment,, the agrarian, industrial, service and experience...
clear state of being LOST,,
Can we call ourselves as a Agrarian economy, actually we dont want to position ourselves like that,, Then are we an industrial economy,, no we are not, as our lovely neighbour in the north-east would never let us become that, are we a service economy, only a handful percentage of our population is involved in this arena,, but our customers always have been complaining of our quality issues,, so cant say whether we are a service economy, numbers (qualitative and quantitatively dont suggest so), then are we an experinced economy, logically we cannot be, as that is the stage which one achieved after service economy stage, but this is the stage which all Indians love to be in, We all want to Experience EVERYTHING,, (we might not be willing to pay the price)..
A slight confusing, but where are we heading...
Given permissions from the business gurus, I would like to coin a term for ourselved : "Amalgamated Economy".. A state where we have everything and Nothing (in true sense).
The solution to this Amalgamated Economy state is :Education for the masses.
...............More on this ....soon....
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Are we adequately educated?
The big question in recessionary times of today is : What is wrong ? Why is there so much panic everywhere ?
Is it not that the question should be : Are we adequately educated ?
Or
Do I have the right skills ?
Till FY09, the trend was hire as much as possible,, get associated with the brand (your graduate or undergraduate school). Now times have changed..
Possibly, everywhere in the world, the same question : What has happened that everything seems to fall... Is it that we missed something in our education system...
There is lot more to think apart from looking for ourselves for a decent Job..
happy Introspecting !!!!
Is it not that the question should be : Are we adequately educated ?
Or
Do I have the right skills ?
Till FY09, the trend was hire as much as possible,, get associated with the brand (your graduate or undergraduate school). Now times have changed..
Possibly, everywhere in the world, the same question : What has happened that everything seems to fall... Is it that we missed something in our education system...
There is lot more to think apart from looking for ourselves for a decent Job..
happy Introspecting !!!!
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